LITTLE SECRETS
by FictionallySpeaking
Summary: She had chosen him and he'd chosen her, but hiding behind secrets and thorns of the past can only be done for so long...and then everything comes undone. [LITTLE VOICE FOLLOW-UP] -DEACON/RAYNA-
1. Chapter 1

**NB: Goodness me. It has been a while. A _long_ while actually. The story you are about to read can best be described as the follow-up to LITTLE VOICE. I guess some have waited for this story, some people will read this and have no idea what I'm talking about, and others will just skip this little note anyway. This story has been sitting in the back of my mind since the final chapters of LITTLE VOICE, and it's only now that I think it's about time for it to be shared. I hope y'all feel the same way. PLEASE share your COMMENTS/THOUGHTS/IDEAS/REVIEWS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES/ FAVORITE LINES OR MOMENTS/HOPES FOR IT TO CONTINUE or WHATEVER ELSE...****Here we go again people...a new story...Enjoy..**

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**DISCLAIMER: **Characters are copyright of NASHVILLE. I own nothing.

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**CHAPTER ONE**

The hallway was dark and the house was quiet. Morning was slowly creeping through the windows. Squinting at her feet, Rayna did her best to dodge the floorboards that were best known for their squeaking. Accidently stepping out of place, a resounding creak echoed up the hallway. Rayna swore. The last thing she wanted to do was wake the girls.

Tiptoeing past her youngest daughter's room and flying past her eldest's, Rayna practically tripped over her own feet. She closed the door and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes as she walked over to her bed. The clock on the bedside table had just changed. 5:49am.

"Babe," Rayna whispered, pulling the sheets back to crawl into bed.

Deacon stirred, rolling onto his side.

"Babe," Rayna tried again, gently wrapping her arms around his waist to steal his warmth. She smiled as he tried to edge away from her. "It's nearly six."

"Mmmm,"

"We need to get up…Actually, you need to get up…"

No reply.

Rayna frowned, squeezing him tightly to get his attention. "Babe, did you hear me?"

"Mmhmm," Deacon answered sleepily, choosing to make as little movement as possible.

"What'd I just say?"

"It's six and we need to get up." Deacon mumbled, closing his eyes. He twisted and turned. "Your feet are cold."

Rayna chuckled, propping herself up to get a better look at him. She teased him with her feet, running them up and down his legs. He pushed her feet away with his, grumbling something that she couldn't quite make out.

"Hun, we've really-"

"Five minutes?"

"Babe-"

"Ray…" Deacon tried, finally opening his eyes. His vision was foggy but he couldn't help but smile when his gaze met hers. Rayna was grinning, her hair tumbling over her shoulders in every which direction. He loved that she stole every part of his being without even trying. She was so beautiful. He couldn't believe that she was his now. "Ray, just lay with me for five more minutes. It's still dark outside."

"Deacon, I think-"

"I think you think too much." Deacon smirked, deliberately pinning her body underneath his as he turned over to face her. Taken off guard, Rayna's face flushed at the sudden contact. His hands began to wander her body, teasing her as they made a slow descend.

"Mmm Mmm," Rayna shook her head, hiding the smile on her face as she pulled his hands up to where she could see them. "I see what you're tryin' to do and it ain't gonna work."

"I'm gonna disagree with you on that..." Deacon murmured, leaning down to kiss her softly.

Paying no mind to the way that he left kisses on her face, she pretended to be disinterested. "Not gonna work."

"Is that right?"

"That's right."

"How about now?" Deacon smirked, freeing his hands from hers to let them resume their wandering. Rayna's breath hitched. His kisses moved to her neck and he smiled against her skin when he felt her body respond to his.

"I think that we-" Rayna managed, her voice shaky and full of desire.

"Just five more minutes…"

"Only five."

"Only five." Deacon hummed, kissing her lightly.

Instinctively, Rayna responded by deepening the kiss. "Five..."

"Whole..." Deacon whispered between kisses, fumbling to get a good hold on the hem of her t-shirt. "...Minutes.."

Rayna giggled into his mouth and pushed him away as he tried to edge her t-shirt upward.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"What you're wantin' to do here is gonna take a hell of a lot longer than five minutes."

Running his hands under her t-shirt, Deacon smiled. "I think I can find a way to-"

"No, no, _no_…" Rayna stifled a laugh, bringing her knees up between them. Deacon ignored her, wrapping her in his arms to kiss her. "Mmm Mmm, Deacon."

"Rayna..." he mimicked her, exaggerating his tone as he kept his hold on her.

"Shhh!" Rayna shushed, trying to edge away from him between giggles. "We can't, the girls-"

"They already know that I'm their Momma's _boyfriend_ or whatever the hell it is that the kids are callin' it these days," Deacon chuckled before kissing her shoulder lightly.

"They don't know that we're sharin' a bed." Rayna retorted, flipping hair over her shoulder as she stared at him straight. "And I'd prefer to keep it that way a while longer, thank you."

"Honey," Deacon murmured, pulling her body against his. Rayna rolled her eyes. "I love sharin' a bed with you…I-"

"Babe, did you not just hear a single word I said?" Rayna chuckled, leaning into him as his fingers made lazy circles on her lower back. "I mean, the girls are sleepin' just down that hallway and you wanna get-"

"It didn't seem to bother you last night," Deacon challenged.

Rayna raised an eyebrow. "You're kiddin' me?"

"Because last I checked _you_ were the one that wanted to share _your_ bed with _me_," Deacon continued, a smirk on his lips when Rayna's mouth dropped.

"You could've said no and gone right on home after the girls went to sleep."

"That wouldn't have been fair on you now, would it?"

"Yes, because last night was all about me."

These last five weeks had been interesting to say the least. After a long, late night conversation at the back of a tour bus, they'd decided to keep their relationship private until they figured out what it actually meant to be together again. They both knew that they wanted this, but if they were honest they had no idea what that meant. A lot of time had passed between them since they'd shared a bed, their hearts, houses, decisions or their lives with each other. They needed time to find and rediscover, they needed to build and relearn. It hadn't been an easy conclusion to come to but they were determined to get it right and make their relationship work this time. Not just for their sakes, but for the people they cared about, particularly Maddie.

Rayna had been easing Maddie and Daphne into the idea of having Deacon around more. Lately, he'd talked with the girls at the end of her nightly phone calls and even jumped in on video chats on a number of occasions. Last week, Daphne had even made a comment about preferring to talk to him over her on the phone. Rayna had pretended to be hurt, but she'd been relieved. The last thing she wanted was for her daughters to be uncomfortable or loathe the idea of her dating someone that wasn't Teddy.

The crazy scheduling for the tour had only allowed them two days out of the whole month to go home to Nashville. They had planned on waiting until the end of the final leg of the tour to tell the girls about their relationship, but that all changed a week ago when Edgehill made a snap decision to put a hold on the tour. Within four hours, a statement had been released to the press and they were all boarding planes that were headed for had been battling a cold for the last few weeks and come down with a severe case of laryngitis. Much to her distain, she'd been ordered to take at least three weeks rest. No tour. No singing. No talking. No nothing. Initially Rayna had found it amusing that Juliette had been put on a complete vocal ban, especially since she seemed to be more vocal than anyone. However, she did empathize with Juliette. There had definitely been a few occasions where she'd battled with the same thing over the years and it hadn't been pretty.

The week was a blur of unpacking, radio interviews, meetings and settling back into being home. Strangely, she'd enjoyed the chaos of it all. That was until her daughters had cornered her four nights ago. One minute Rayna had been asking what they wanted for lunch and the next Maddie had asked if she had a boyfriend. Dumbfounded, Rayna had flat out denied it. Daphne asked if it was Deacon. Rayna deflected the question by asking if she wanted peanut butter on her sandwich. Both girls had pushed and prodded until Rayna finally confirmed their suspicions. She indeed had a boyfriend, and yes it was Deacon. Fortunately, they didn't seem too fazed by the idea. Maddie hadn't been nearly as vocal as Daphne had been about how she felt, but at the end of it all both girls had approved. That had been all that mattered to her, that they approved.

"What?" Rayna frowned, suddenly realizing that Deacon had been staring.

"Nothin'," Deacon smirked, brushing hair out of her eyes. "You're just real pretty is all."

"Shush you," Rayna whispered, kissing him slow as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

Deacon rested his forehead against hers and she smiled. "It's true."

Terror surged through Rayna's body when she heard the pitter-pattering of feet down the hallway. Without thinking, she pushed Deacon away from her and out of the bed. He collided face first with the floor, burying himself under the blankets that he'd taken with him. Rayna barely had enough time to lie back down before her nine-year-old burst through the door.

"Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" Daphne exclaimed, bounding into the room.

Rayna stirred, doing her best to feign drowsiness. "Daphne, Daphne, Daphne…"

"Look!" Daphne chirped, holding up a ten-dollar note. "The Tooth Fairy gave me ten-dollars!"

Rayna's eyes widened. "Ten? What the hell did you just-?"

"You just said a bad word-" Daphne interjected, crossing her arms cheekily.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rayna groaned, straightening her posture. "That's no way to be talkin' to your Momma when she hasn't had a cup of coffee yet."

"You're just jealous because I'm rich now," Daphne grinned, jumping onto the bed. She seemed to be oblivious to the horror that spread across her Mother's face.

Rayna's heart quickened and she stole a look over the side of the bed where Deacon was laying perfectly still. She was going to kill him. _Ten dollars? Really Deacon? _

"That's like the same as my allowance,"

"Mmhmm..." Rayna managed as she gave the little girl a gentle push. "Sweetheart, as much as I wanna sit and chat so early in the mornin'...Why don't you go on downstairs and watch some TV?"

Daphne frowned. "I thought that I wasn't allowed?"

"What'd you mean?" Rayna asked distractedly, edging her daughter further off the bed. "Of course you're allowed. I'll be down in a little bit."

"Mom,"

"Daphne, would you just-" Rayna started, trying her best to hide the agitation in her voice.

"Ok, ok." Daphne sighed, walking towards the door before turning around. She grinned cheekily.

Rayna's eyes narrowed. "What are you smilin' at?"

"Nothing. I guess I'm not banned from watching TV anymore-"

"I? You? What?-"

"Bye, Mom-"

"Daphne! Come b-" Rayna called as the little girl disappeared.

Deacon chuckled, struggling to find air underneath the blankets. "She's long gone Ray..."

"Yeah, her and her ten-dollars," Rayna leant over the side of the bed to look down at Deacon as he pulled the blanket off his face. She smiled a sugary smile. "Oh, yeah...Did you know that the Tooth Fairy's bein' real generous these days?"

"What can I say? I'm just a generous kind of guy..." Deacon smirked as he thought about last night, Tooth Fairy duty and the ten-dollars.

Rayna scoffed and threw a pillow at him. "Oh, please."

"Hey, a lot of good can come from generosity Ray...I mean, the things I could've, we could've done in five-"

"Babe," Rayna's face flushed.

"Just statin' the obvious-"

"Well, I'm gonna state the obvious too." Rayna exhaled, pulling the sheets back to get out of bed.

Deacon raised an eyebrow and Rayna smirked.

"Havin' a nine-year-old burst through your bedroom door this early is one thing...But a thirteen-year old? I sure as hell am not waitin' around to see that...and neither are you."


	2. Chapter 2

**NB: THANK YOU every reader and reviewer for your kindness and genuine interest and excitement about a new story! I really appreciate it. I'm excited that y'all are excited to be taking this journey with Deacon, Rayna, the whole crew..even Daphne...and me. The song in this chapter is called 'Nothing But Trouble - Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors' - All copyright to them. PLEASE KEEP your LOVES/HOPES/HATES/COMMENTS/FAVORITE MOMENTS OR LINES/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS and WHATEVER ELSE coming...Enough talk, y'all are here to read the story...enjoy chapter two..**

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**CHAPTER TWO**

"It's open!" Rayna yelled from the lounge room. She looked at the blank page of her notebook and frowned.

"You do know that you're gonna invite some stranger into your home one day if you're not careful, right?" Tandy greeted, dropping her car keys on the kitchen counter.

"Relax," Rayna drawled. She chewed the end of her pen and waved her cell phone. "I knew it was you. I mean, considerin' all the times you got diverted to my message bank…It was only a matter of time before you showed up on my doorstep."

"Oh, so your phone works?" Tandy asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

"I've been busy,"

"A text would've been fine."

"Sorry,"

"You're not sorry,"

"No, I guess I'm not," Rayna laughed. "I've been a little busy."

Tandy walked over and sat on the arm of the lounge that Rayna was sitting on. "What are you doin'?"

"Goin' crazy is what I'm doin'!" Rayna exclaimed, chucking the notebook on the floor.

Tandy pursed her lips.

"I'm sorry, I'm just…With the tour on hold, I've finally got some time to be focusin' on my record and…my head is everywhere."

"Ok…" Tandy tried.

"This was supposed to be a good thing. A way of findin' my sound, findin' my voice…Doin' my music on my terms, you know?"

"Mmhmm, I thought that's what you got Edgehill to finally agree to? They did let you hire Liam after all."

"Marshall agreed, but then he got fired and I swear this new label exec is bent on makin' my life hell-"

"You mean Jeff Fordham?"

"Yeah, Jeff-" Rayna started, stopping mid sentence. "Hang on, how do you know him?"

"Word travels…" Tandy shrugged. "From what I've heard he sounds like a real business type, a charmer. Apparently he's not too bad on the eyes either-"

"I've got a few less friendlier ways of describin' him." Rayna said bitterly.

"I'm sure you do." Tandy hid her smile.

"He's threatenin' to release my 'Greatest Hit's' album if I don't hurry up this whole recordin' process,"

Tandy smirked and walked into the kitchen. "Rude.."

"I know!" Rayna fumed, following her. She exhaled heavily and ran her hands through her hair as she watched Tandy turn the kettle on. "Anyway, enough of that. Right now, I should be happy with my label. They're lettin' me be home with my girls and my sister for the next few weeks…"

"How is Juliette?"

"Ok, I guess. I think all she's really doin' is restin'…" Rayna replied, taking a seat on a stool. "I left her a couple of messages to let her know that I was thinkin' of her, prayin' for her...that kinda thing."

"You did?"

"Mmhmm,"

Tandy opened a cupboard and pulled out two cups.

"I think it'll take a little bit for her to be ready to get back up on the stage again. Recoverin' from somethin' like this is a lot easier said then done."

"Well, despite the circumstances…It is nice to have you home."

"It's good to be home,"

"Hey," Tandy smiled, handing Rayna a cup. "I was actually wantin' to talk to you about somethin'."

Rayna frowned.

"What happened in Louisville?" Tandy asked, watching Rayna carefully.

"What'd you mean what happened in Louisville?" Rayna asked, hiding the surprise on her face and the unease in her voice. Her mind began to run, entertaining every possibly question and thought that crept into her head. Was it about Maddie? Did Tandy know about her relationship with Deacon? Is this what that was about? She didn't want to know.

"Well," Tandy started, leaning against the counter opposite Rayna. "Daddy sure won't talk about it so I'm takin' things into my own hands and askin' you…"

"Tandy,"

"Rayna, I know he went to see you in Louisville. He left a meetin' to catch a plane get there before your show started."

Clumsily, Rayna lifted the cup to her lips, taking a long sip of coffee to hide her expression. She let the liquid burn her throat as she thought about the last conversation she'd had with her Father. Five weeks ago felt like a lifetime ago. He'd said his share of nasty words and she'd said hers too. Even Deacon had managed to get a few words in. They hadn't spoken since. She hated that her Father had used the truth about Maddie's paternity as a means to blackmail her into doing what he wanted. She hated that he didn't seemed fazed by the pain and the havoc he'd put her through. She loathed it all.

"Rayna?"

"Tandy," Rayna started, realising she had been ignoring her sister. "I don't know what you're talkin' about."

"I know y'all have never seen eye to eye, but you've always been civil. Since Louisville, you've backed out of every family dinner I organize."

"You make it sound like I'm home all the time! I've been tourin' in case you haven't noticed. When I have been home you've invited us to, what? One dinner?"

"And you asked if Daddy was gonna be there, made excuses and didn't come." Tandy countered.

"Tandy, I love you…" Rayna sighed, running a hand over her face. "But I really don't want to do this."

"Ok, fine," Tandy backed off, holding her hands up. "I'm just worried about you, the both of you."

"You can quit worryin'…I know where he stands and he knows where I stand. That's all there is too it-"

"Hey,"

Pulled from conversation, they both looked up in the direction of the voice. Tandy raised an eyebrow and Rayna smiled giddily, subtly avoiding Deacon's gaze in an attempt to draw attention away from her sudden excitement.

"Hi," Tandy smiled, shifting her gaze between Deacon and Rayna as he nodded.

"Hope you don't mind…Your message said you were home," Deacon broke the silence, waving his cell phone before gesturing to the front door. "So I let myself in."

Tandy cleared her throat and shot Rayna a pointed look. "You're able to send him a message and not me? Really?"

Rayna ignored her.

"I can go if I'm interupptin'-" Deacon started, rocking on his feet.

"-No, you're not…um.." Rayna fumbled, putting her cup down on the counter.

"I was just leavin'," Tandy slowly, gauging if she'd said the right thing from Rayna's reaction.

Rayna nodded. "She just was leavin',"

"Well, my guitar in out in the car so I'm gonna run out and grab it," Deacon replied, promptly leaving the room and the awkwardness behind.

"Ohhh," Tandy whispered, realization hitting her hard as her eyes lit up.

"What?! No ohhh, there's no ohhh, Tandy!" Rayna gulped, standing to her feet, as her tone got defensive. The only people that knew she was dating Deacon were the girls. Daphne. Rayna hoped with all her might that her sweet little daughter hadn't gone and opened her sweet little mouth. If Tandy knew, she would not let her live this down.

"Yes, there is."

"No, there's not!"

"There's a big ohhh," Tandy smirked.

"I have a record to finish and I need songs. Deacon writes music, I write music, we write good songs together. I can't help that."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the only _good thing_ y'all are doin' together." Tandy goaded, fanning her face as she narrowed her eyes. "No wonder you're not talkin' to Daddy,"

"I don't even have words-"

"You can deny it, but I see it on your face!" Tandy cried, waving at her.

"See what?!"

"See that Deacon's doin' a lot more than just makin' sweet music with that guitar of his."

Rayna flushed and her mouth dropped. "You are bad…"

"Sweetie, that ain't even the best of what I could say to you right now." Tandy smirked, grabbing her car keys when she heard the front door open.

"Bye," Rayna drawled, gesturing for her to leave as Deacon walked in.

"I'll call you," Tandy replied before shutting the front door.

"What the hell was that?" Deacon asked warily, putting down his guitar case.

Rayna laughed. "That was my sister bein' my sister…"

**- NASHVILLE -**

"No! Listen, listen, listen…" Deacon shushed, straightening his posture as his fingers let go of the strings of his guitar.

"Deacon," Rayna stifled a laugh, trying to grab the guitar off him. She leant forward and he pulled away, making them both laugh. "You're not helpin'!"

"I am so helpin'-"

"By scribblin' out my lyrics and messin' around on your guitar?" Rayna asked, feigning frustration.

"I'm helpin' you by forcin' you to take a break." Deacon smiled.

Rayna rolled her eyes.

"Darlin', nothin' good is gonna come from this," Deacon gestured loosely between them. "If you don't loosen up."

"I am loose…" Rayna frowned, looking up from her notebook.

Deacon shook his head. "No, you're not. Come on, aren't you supposed to be takin' a break with this tour bein' on hold and all? I thought we'd be spendin' some time together..."

"Babe, a postponed tour does not mean that I don't have an album to be workin' on…"

Deacon sighed, resting his guitar against an armchair as he stood up.

"Ok, fine. I was hungry anyway…" Rayna mumbled, standing quickly before walking to the fridge. She jumped when she felt Deacon's arms wrap around her waist. He smiled and she grabbed a tub of yogurt out of the fridge. Deacon chuckled when Rayna tried to free herself from his hold. "What are you doin'?"

"Holdin' you," Deacon replied.

"I know that!" Rayna laughed, dragging him with her to a drawer to get a spoon when he wouldn't let go. "But I'm tryin' to eat and you're getting' in my way."

"…I'm helpin' you relax," Deacon murmured, kissing her neck and pulling her body closer to his. Rayna shivered, her body instinctively leaning back into his. Clumsily, Rayna dipped the spoon into the tub of yogurt and lifted it up to her mouth. Deacon started humming and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

Rayna smiled when she recognised the melody. "I haven't heard you sing that one in years…"

"_Blue-eyed baby, you're the queen of my afternoon_." Deacon sang low, lazily swaying them back and forth. Rayna went quiet, smile wide as she listened to him sing. "_Rollercoaster, rock and roller…You are the perfect melody_."

"_I've got nothin' but trouble, baby_," Deacon grinned, his eyes meeting Rayna's as she looked up at him and sang a soft harmony. "_You've got nothin' but time. So we got two hearts beatin' for a good ride…_"

Deacon kissed her shoulder and Rayna dropped the spoon into the yogurt tub and placed it on the counter. She turned around in his arms to face him and he smiled when he noticed that her cheeks were red.

"Do you really wanna help me relax?" Rayna whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Deacon grinned, leaning down to capture her lips with his own.

Rayna responded eagerly, pulling his body closer to hers when he kissed her again. Their hands and mouths wandered, hearts hammering harder with every kiss. Caught in the moment, Rayna shrieked as she felt her feet leave the ground. Deacon's hands were on her waist one second and she was sitting on the countertop the next. Deacon's hands began to make the slow climb up her legs and Rayna's breath hitched. Leaning against the counter between her legs, he pulled her body close to his and kissed her slow and steady. His fingers moved to the buttons at the bottom of her shirt and she smiled into the kiss, her own fingers mirroring his actions. Rayna's cell phone rang and the sound echoed through out the whole kitchen.

"Leave it," Deacon murmured against her mouth as he ran his hands up and down her back.

"I-" Rayna started, stopping short when he kissed her again. Reluctantly, she pulled away, leaning back on the counter to grab her cell phone. She looked at the screen and groaned. "I need to take it."

Deacon exhaled heavily. "No, you don't,"

"It's Bucky, it could be important." Rayna replied, hitting answer before lifting the cell phone to her ear. "Hey, Buck."

Deacon took a step backwards and sighed.

"You? He? Hang on, what did you just say?" Rayna spluttered, jumping off the counter. Deacon grabbed the spoon out of the yogurt tub and began to eat it. Hastily, Rayna put the phone on speaker, sliding it onto the counter so she could do the buttons of her shirt back up.

"He seems pretty adamant that that's what he wants," Bucky spoke up.

"He wants a release date, a track list…Hell, he wants the masters for the whole damn album…and I haven't even finished recordin' it, let alone writin' it!"

"Ray, I'm on your side here. You know that, right?" Bucky asked.

"What does he want next? My soul?" Rayna replied grimly, shaking her head as Deacon slowly ate through her tub of yogurt. She mouthed. "That's my yogurt."

"What? I'm hungry…" Deacon chuckled.

"I don't know about your soul, but I know what he wants with that song." Bucky replied.

"We'll see about that," Rayna mumbled to Bucky as she looked around the kitchen for her car keys. Bucky said his goodbyes and she hung up the phone.

"Ok, wait," Deacon spoke up, watching Rayna run around the kitchen. He grabbed her hand as she flew past him. "Hold on, hold on, hold on…What's the matter?"

"Jeff is about to cop a mouthful off of me is what's the matter," Rayna replied angrily.

"What? Why?"

"You know that duet? The one you and I wrote? The one we sang in Louisville?" Rayna asked, nodding when he realized what she was talking about. "He wants it on my album-"

"That's great..." Deacon spoke slowly, immediately regretting his choice of words when Rayna eye's grew wide. "I thought you wanted it on the album..."

"But I've gotta sing it with Luke." Rayna finished, crossing her arms as she pursed her lips.

"Luke?"

"Oh, don't pretend like you don't know who I'm talkin' about now." Rayna sighed.

Deacon looked at her blankly.

"Luke? You know, Luke _Luke_…"

"Wheeler?" Deacon scrunched his nose up, realisation flooding his face. "You're kiddin'?"

"No, I'm not kiddin'." Rayna shook her head as she picked up her cell phone.

"You're not considerin' singin' our song with Wheeler, right?"

"No. So, I've gotta go on down there and tell him that as much as I appreciate his input…I've already got plans for that song."

"You're goin' down there now?"

"I've got to. Last thing I want is him gettin' some bright idea to release a press statement about a Rayna Jaymes and Luke Wheeler duet. That'd just be perfect."

Deacon laughed. "Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. I mean, you hardly know the guy. He probably thinks he's doin' the right thing by you and your album by wantin' to be involved."

"I hope so," Rayna blew heavily.

He leant over and kissed her cheek.

"Shoot!" Rayna exclaimed, looking at the clock on the wall. "It's Friday."

"Friday?"

"I'm supposed to pick up the girls this afternoon from school." Rayna threw her head back in frustration. Now she was going to have to wait a whole weekend to sort out this album business.

"I can pick them up?" Deacon suggested, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I mean, only if you want me to. It's just a thought."

"I don't wanna put you out by askin' you to do that."

"Ray, it's ok. You're not forcin' anythin' on me when I'm the one that's offerin to do it. I'm sure we can find a way to fill in time while you do what you gotta do."

"Babe, that'd be so great, thank you…" Rayna relaxed, looking from Deacon to her cell phone.

"It's fine,"

"Only if you're sure..."

"We've gotta start somewhere." Deacon replied and Rayna smiled, acknowledging the double meaning in his words. They were yet to talk about a lot of things; dating ground rules, the girls, Bucky, the media, Maddie. Maddie was definitely something they needed to talk about, but they both knew now was not the time.

"I'll call the school and ask them to let the girls know you're pickin' them up today."

"Sounds good."

"I'm sure they'll like it a lot more than their Mom turnin' up anyway."

"Darlin', if it was me...you're the only one I'd want turnin' up." Deacon grinned, wrapping her in his arms.

Rayna blushed, her body overcome with a fire that shot up through her bones. She loved how he made her feel, what he did to her, how he looked at her and held her close. Without even trying, he completely undid her. She kissed him hard, taking him by surprise. He wanted to kiss her again but she pulled away.

"What was that for?"

"Just wanted to, " Rayna smiled coyly, brushing hair out of her eyes.

"Well, whenever you _just want to..._I'm open to it happenin_',"_

"Babe, I've just gotta-" Rayna hesitated, trying to find the right words. "You know my girls, they're good girls...but sometimes they have a way of backin' you into a corner and-"

"Ray, I've known them their whole lives...I think I can handle it,"

Rayna's eyes widened. "If you say so."


	3. Chapter 3

**NB: Thank you each and every person who has taken the time to read and review! I so, so appreciate it..I have fought with time all week to upload this chapter so I am so happy that y'all finally get to read it. The song in this chapter is 'Hell on Heels - The Pistol Annies' and all copyright to them. PLEASE KEEP your LOVES/HATES/COMMENTS/FAVORITE MOMENTS OR LINES/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS/PMS and WHATEVER ELSE coming...Enjoy chapter three...**

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**CHAPTER THREE**

Leaning against his car, Deacon crossed his arms in an attempt to stop himself from fidgeting. He looked down at his feet and swore when he realized he was shaking. When he had offered to pick the girls up from school for Rayna he hadn't anticipated feeling so completely out of his depth. It wasn't that he didn't think he could handle an afternoon with these two little ladies, he'd looked after them many times before. It was the fact that one of these girls was his own flesh and blood, _his_ daughter.

Maddie was his daughter.

That thought alone was enough to send his insides into a spin, twisting and tangling him into a mess. Deacon didn't know the first thing about being a dad. If he was really honest, he didn't think he had it in him to start with. What on earth did he have to offer? What if he failed Maddie? Hell, he didn't even know if Rayna wanted or expected him to be a father figure in Maddie's life in the first place.

Deep down, he had always thought about having a family of his own. He would've had the house, a wife, three children and maybe even a dog. That was the life he and Rayna were supposed to have together. The life they had talked about so many times. But over the years the chaos and turmoil that had spun itself around his life had killed that dream, spinning him out of control and into a dark place. Eventually, he stopped fantisizing and he convinced himself that he didn't want a family. He was better off without one. Instead, he'd settled for the responsibility of being an uncle. First to Scarlett, then to Maddie, and then Daphne. He loved everything about being an uncle to those girls and they loved him back. Deacon felt like he finally had a firm grip on everything and then Rayna had told him the truth about Maddie's paternity. It had taken weeks for it all to sink in. It was still sinking in.

The responsibility and reality of it all was overwhelming. Deacon had spent most of his life trying to forget the four walls that held the terrors of his own childhood and the angry drunk of man who he refused to call a father. If his father hadn't been able to raise him, how could he be responsible for raising a child of his own? The more Deacon thought about it, the less sure of himself he became. Maybe he'd been right to think that he'd be better off without a family of his own.

His thoughts pestered and tormented him, undoing the quiet resolve he'd held on to since Rayna had told him the truth about Maddie's paternity. Maybe he couldn't do this. Talking about it with Rayna when they were alone had been one thing, but feeling the reality of it all was something else entirely.

Deacon swallowed hard, shaking his thoughts as he recrossed his arms. He couldn't afford to feel like this. At least not now, not here. He could do this. He would do this.

The school bell rang and Deacon's eyes shot up to meet the front gates. Within seconds the air was filled with the chattering and laughing of children walking and running past him with their parents. School buses and cars honked horns, all set on hurrying off into the afternoon. Deacon lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and smiled when he caught sight of a little blonde girl skipping down the steps. Without thinking, Deacon bolted across the busy road to greet her.

"Deacon!" Daphne yelled, jumping into his arms as he stretched them out to her.

"Hey, little lady…" Deacon smiled, holding her in his arms as they swayed a little. He looked around, his eyes searching through the crowds.

"Maddie's coming. At least I think she is. She was right behind me like two seconds ago." Daphne stood on her tiptoes.

"It's alright, I guess we'll just wait for her. How was your day?"

"Um, it was ok,"

"Just ok?"

"Well, Noah told Annie that he liked her, but Annie likes Ethan…and Ethan has a girlfriend already so Annie can't really like him back anyway," Daphne explained, adjusting the school bag on her back.

Deacon's eyebrows shot up.

"Miss Davis really wasn't happy abou-"

"Hi guys," Maddie greeted, interrupting Daphne as she walked over to them.

"Hey darlin'," Deacon smiled, nodding in her direction. He looked over her shoulder and noticed that she wasn't alone.

"Oh," Maddie smiled awkwardly, gesturing to a girl that stood behind her. "Sorry…Um, this is my friend Tahlia. Tahlia, this is Deacon."

Deacon smiled and extended his hand to the girl. "Nice to meet you."

"He's not just Deacon, he's our uncle Deacon. He's known us since like before we could walk and stuff," Daphne beamed, nudging Deacon as she spoke. She furrowed her brow and cocked her head. "Actually, I don't know how that works anymore because you can't be our uncle if you're mom's boy-"

"_Best friend_," Maddie interjected, glaring at her little sister. If Maddie had learnt anything over the last nine years, she had learnt that Daphne's mouth had a way of getting them both into trouble.

Deacon shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

Daphne frowned. "That's actually not what I-"

"Yes, it was," Maddie smiled at Thalia and shot Daphne a look that told her to shut her mouth. "He's good friends with mom and with our family just like Daph said…but you already know that anyways."

"I know who he is,"

"You do?" Deacon asked straight.

Thalia nodded, gesturing to him as she spoke. "You used to sing with their mom like all the time, and now you play guitar for Juliette Barnes, right? You even sang on a couple of songs off of her new album. That's so cool."

"How'd you know that?" Deacon raised an eyebrow.

"It was all over Twitter," Thalia shrugged.

Deacon nodded slowly, pretending that he knew what she was talking about.

"Deacon has no idea what that is," Daphne rolled her eyes. "Maddie had to teach him how to text ages ago and he's still _really_ slow."

Everyone laughed.

"It's true," Maddie grinned, holding up her cell phone. "He's slower than Mom…and that's saying something.."

"Alright, alright," Deacon exhaled, holding his hands up in the air in defeat. "Y'all are gonna give away all my secrets if you keep talkin'…So I'm gonna try and save myself by suggestin' that we get goin', hey?"

Both girls nodded and they all said their goodbyes before they walked across the road.

Daphne broke into a run and slammed herself against the front passenger door. "I call shotgun!"

"No, I'm in the front!" Maddie exclaimed, bumping into Daphne.

"I called it…"

"I'm oldest!"

Deacon froze, car keys in hand as he watched them in amazement. He couldn't believe that all hell had broken lose over front seat privileges in a few short seconds.

"I called it!"

"I'm older than you!" Maddie shook her head, opening the door to jump in before Daphne could.

Deacon tried his best not to laugh. This was going to be an interesting afternoon.

**- NASHVILLE -**

"So much for a break…" Rayna muttered under her breath as she hit the button for the elevator.

"You have to admit though," Bucky hesitated, looking in the direction of Jeff's office. "…He's not really wrong about this. Now is a real good time to be finishin' that album."

"I'm not sayin' he's wrong. He just gets on my nerves."

Bucky smirked. "I think that's an understatement."

"Oh, come on!"

"Ok, so tellin' him he could stick it if he wouldn't give you control over who was producin', playin', and writin' on your album was completely rational, was it?"

"Well, there was that…" Rayna chuckled, stepping into the elevator. "How was I supposed to react? I've, we've worked real hard on this album and all I'm doin' is protectin' it...In some weird way I think Jeff sees that, I hope he sees that. Time will tell I guess."

"Mmhmm," Bucky nodded, his eyes glued to his cell phone. "You want me to call Liam and let him know you're headed his way?"

"I can do it,"

"Alright-"

Rayna exhaled and rubbed her forehead. "Actually, I've gotta call Deacon first."

"Deacon?"

"Yeah," Rayna nodded, thinking she was stating the obvious. Bucky looked at her vacantly. "He's got the girls this afternoon,"

"Ohhh," Bucky said knowingly, glancing up at Rayna.

Rayna's eyes shot up. "What is it with y'all and ohhhin'?! There's no ohhh, no ohhhs."

Bucky chuckled and Rayna was sure he said something wildly inappropriate but she couldn't make it out. Instead of pursing it, she scrolled through her cell phone till she found Deacon's number and hit call.

**NASHVILLE **

"Seriously?" Maddie smiled, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear. "I do that too."

"Really?" Deacon's eyes lit up.

"All the time…I always want to read the lyrics before choosing a song that I wanna learn-"

"Maddie Maddie!" Daphne exclaimed, interrupting the conversation between Deacon and Maddie in the front of the car. "Turn it up! It's our song!"

Maddie smiled when she recognised the song. She quickly turned the volume control on the radio up and turned around to look at her sister.

"_I'm hell on heels, say what you will. I've done made the devil a deal_." Both girls sang, swaying in time to the slow and sassy tune.

Deacon's eyes widened as he focused on the lyrics. Had he just heard right? Something about hells and the devil. What on earth were they singing?

"_He made me pretty_," Daphne sang, pouting her lips as she pointed to Maddie.

Maddie grinned, jerking a thumb at her chest. "_He made me smart_,"

"_And I'm gonna break me a million hearts_." Daphne nodded, pointing at herself.

Maddie giggled and joined her to sing. "_I'm hell on heels…Baby I'm coming for you_-"

Deacon quickly hit a button on the radio, promptly changing the station.

"Hey?!"

"Deacon!?"

"We were listening to that,"

"Come on?!" both girls complained, arms crossed as they stared at him.

Deacon cleared his throat and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. He didn't need to look at either of the girls to know the look they were giving him. He knew that look all too well. It was the same one Rayna gave him when she was about to blow a gasket. The one that told him he was in for it if he didn't choose his words wisely.

"I may not know too much about lookin' after little ladies like yourselves…" Deacon started, daring to catch a glimpse of Daphne in the rear-view mirror. She raised an eyebrow. "But I know enough to know that that ain't a song your Momma is gonna want you listenin' to."

"But-"

"Just because it says hell?" Maddie asked.

"Well, _that_ and a few other _colorful_ words and stuff that you shouldn't even know about, yeah…" Deacon shrugged, indicating into another lane as he spoke. There was no way that he was going to get in to trouble for letting them listen to some song like that. Rayna would be horrified, he was sure of it.

"I'm thirteen."

"I'm nine."

"What other songs are on the radio now?" Deacon tried, flipping through channels as he looked at Maddie. "I've got a Juliette Barnes album in the back pocket of your seat if y'all wanna listen to that?"

"You say those words…so does Mom." Daphne argued, running her fingers along the windowsill.

"I-" Deacon started, quickly closing his mouth to think for a second. He was losing this argument. He could feel it. "Well, sometimes grownups say things…It's not the same-"

Daphne rolled her eyes and met his gaze. "Yes, it is."

"Darlin', I don't-"

"I don't see why we can't listen to that...We know them, you know them...and mom listens to that song!" Daphne said exasperatedly, her arms flailing. Maddie nodded. "Like all the time.."

"Wh-? She does?" Deacon looked at Maddie, his expression amused.

"It's her favorite song." Daphne continued.

Maddie frowned. "Not her favorite,"

"Well, one of them."

Deacon let out a low laugh, his mind painting a vivid image of Rayna singing a song like that. He could see her strutting around all sexy and pretty, smiling that smile she kept only for him as she sang soft and low. She'd give him that look that told him she needed him and he'd come completely undone.

"You should know," Daphne piped up. "I mean, you're her boyfriend, right?"

Deacon pursed his lips, trying his best to conceal his shock. Maybe Rayna had been right to warn him about her daughters earlier. They sure weren't ones for light car-ride chitchat.

"We already know-"

Deacon's cell phone rang and he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Maddie promptly picked up the cell phone and answered it, putting it on speaker.

"Hey Ray, you're on speaker," Deacon greeted, hoping to give her a heads up that there were two other pairs of ears listening in.

"Oh, hey…How are y'all doin'?"

"Hi, Mom!"

"I hope y'all are behavin' for Deacon…They're behavin', right?"

"We are," Maddie replied, shooting Deacon a cheeky grin. Deacon returned the smile, his heart warming at the sight of the joy on the girl's face.

"Oh, good…I'm glad about that." Rayna replied, pausing briefly. "Listen, I was wantin' to call to tell you that I had that meetin' with Jeff,"

"Yeah, how'd it go?" Deacon asked, leaning towards Maddie a little to hear Rayna's voice better as she held the phone to his ear.

"We can talk about that later, but right now I need to go to the studio with Liam-"

"You do?"

"Mmhmm, I shouldn't be more than an hour, two at the most." Rayna spoke reluctantly, already feeling like she'd burdened Deacon with enough when he'd picked the girls up from school.

"Ok, so…" Deacon replied slowly, smile wide as both girls turned their attention to him.

"Babe, you know I hate even askin'-"

"Ray, it's fine. We'll probably go grab a bite to eat or somethin'. Y'all hungry?"

"I'm starvin'!" Daphne over exaggerated, letting out a huge sigh.

"That sounds like a great idea." Rayna agreed. Her tone became serious. "Daphne, do not go trickin' Deacon into buyin' you red drink, you hear?"

Everyone laughed.

"Fine." Daphne grumbled.

"If y'all need me, just call, ok?" Rayna added.

"We'll be fine, won't we girls?"

"Just call.."

"Darlin', are you ok?"

"I'm fine.." Rayna replied unconvincingly. "Nothin' a good cup of coffee can't fix."

"Ok," Deacon nodded, knowing full well she was cranky and agitated. " Well, you need to get to that studio…and we need to get us some food...so we'll talk to you later."

Everyone said their goodbyes and Maddie hung up the phone.

"Do you know what'd be fun?" Maddie asked unexpectedly, breaking the silence in the car.

"What?" Deacon asked curiously.

"Going to the studio."

"Yeah! That'd be awesome!" Daphne cried, grabbing onto the headrest of Deacon's seat.

"I know, right? Seeing mom singing and recording songs for the new album…"

"I don't know. Your Momma's real busy right now." Deacon hesitated.

"Please…" Daphne begged, her face clearly pained as she spoke. Deacon tried not to laugh. "We've been before, mom let's us go with her."

Maddie nodded incessantly, her gaze moving from Daphne to Deacon.

Deacon sighed. He knew they were both lying. Their smiles and giggling were a dead giveaway. The last thing Rayna liked was distractions when she was focusing on a new record. Over twenty years of first hand experience had taught him that. The only kind of distraction she seemed to pay any mind to in the recording studio were the times he used to grab her by the hand and pull her into a storeroom so he could go on distracting her with his wandering kisses and hands. Deacon laughed. There was no way something like that would happen today.

"Please, please..." Daphne pleaded. "I'll stop saying please if we can go."

Something inside him was pulling him towards the studio, pulling him towards her. If he really thought about it, he didn't want to go to please the girls. He wanted to go because he wanted to be there if Rayna needed someone. There was no way in hell he was going to let Liam be the one Rayna turned to for comfort if she was weary and dejected. Deacon had seen where that could lead to a good few months ago. He thought back to the time he'd walked in on Liam and Rayna kissing in a dressing room and cringed. That was something he didn't care to see again.

"Maybe we could buy her a coffee?" Maddie suggested. "She said a coffee would help her..."

Deacon debated with his thoughts, weighing up the options. The chatter from the girls didn't help. It only fuelled his desire to go. Before he could say or reason any further, he was flicking the indicator and heading towards the studio.


	4. Chapter 4

**NB: I'm sooo SORRY for the long delay! It has not been my intention to leave it so long, but that's just how it turned out. I haven't had enough time to give this chapter the attention it deserved until now so I'm hoping that waiting to finish this has paid off and y'all like it. The song in this chapter is 'Learning To Fly - Lady Antebellum' - copyright to the artists. PLEASE KEEP YOUR LOVES/HATES/HOPES/FAVOURITE LINES OR MOMENTS/THOUGHTS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES and WHATEVER ELSE coming...I won't leave you waiting any longer...enjoy.**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"What are you sayin?"

"Don't get defensive," Liam smirked, pushing back from the mixing board and spinning his chair around to face her. "You asked for my opinion and all I did was give it to you. What you do with that is completely your call."

"You're talkin' crazy, you know that, right?" Rayna blew, shovelling her fingers through her hair in frustration. She sunk back into the lounge chair opposite him.

"I'm sorry if you hate that I think the song needs a new vocal, really I am…" Liam scratched his cheek and shrugged. "But you're not paying me to tell you what you wanna hear. You hired me because you wanna make a great record, remember?"

Rayna swore.

"Not the answer I was really looking for considering I practically moved the earth to get here this afternoon." Liam goaded, absentmindedly swivelling the chair back and forth.

"I'm sorry, I'm not meanin' to be so damn rude. I know it wasn't easy for you to get here on such short notice and I appreciate that you came, really I do." she mumbled, picking a paper cup up off a coffee table. She held it to her mouth and frowned when she found that it was empty. "I just…I don't know…Layin' down a new vocal on a track that's supposed to be done when I still have an album that needs more songs bothers me."

"You sure that's all that's bothering you?"

"Yeah…Hang on, what on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe it has something to do with track 5, I don't know." he shrugged, pulling his foot up to rest on his knee. "Just a guess."

"What?!" Rayna's eyes widened and she sat up a little straighter. "Why would-?"

"Bucky might've called me, let me in on what went down in that meeting with Jeff."

"Well," Rayna picked up her cell phone off the lounge next to her. She pretended to be less than interested. Rayna didn't really feel like talking about the fact that Jeff was still set on her recording that duet with Luke Wheeler. She had half a mind to cut the song from the record completely. "That's a story for another day."

"Talking about stories…." Liam fiddled with the levels on the mixing board again. "I never heard about how your _talk_ with Deacon ended up in Louisville. You know, after you were a sobbing mess on the floor outside my hotel room."

"That's because I never told you."

"Oh, I'm aware of that." Liam chuckled, his eyes looking up to meet hers. "I've been _patiently_ waiting for five long weeks to hear about this."

"You've been countin'?"

"Five weeks."

"Seriously, there's nothin' to talk about."

"I'm gonna disagree. You've kept pretty quiet on the whole subject. If I didn't know any better I'd say that the two of you are-"

"Why are we even talkin' about this? We're supposed to concentratin' on an album, not on whose sleepin' in my bed." Rayna chortled, her cheeks suddenly growing very red. She looked anywhere but at him.

Liam cocked his head. "Who said anything about whose sleeping in your bed?"

Rayna froze. "Mmm?"

"You're blushing."

"No! I'm not-"

"You are…" Liam smirked. "And you know, it's ok. You're a sexy woman who clearly isn't wasting any time living in the moment. You're making the most of the single life."

"Alright, alright…enough." Rayna blew heavily. She really wanted to slap him, but she couldn't find fault in his comment. Even if it wasn't true, the world saw her as officially being single, on the market, free. Her divorce had officially been finalised three weeks ago. When she thought about it, she honestly couldn't figure out how she felt. She was raw and numb to everything that had happened. Admittedly, the divorce had been a long time coming, but at the end of it all there was emptiness and a sense of guilt and loss that sat in the pit of her stomach that she found hard to shake.

"Hey…" Liam whistled, waving a hand in front of Rayna's face.

Rayna's eyes shot up in his direction and she forced a smile. "Right now, I'm just…I'm wantin' to work, so could we please just get to workin' on what we came here for."

"You know what you need?" Liam smiled, taking the headphones off from around his neck to give himself the freedom to move. He stood up and walked over to take a seat on the coffee table in front of Rayna, their knees touching as he sat.

"What?"

"You need to get away, take some time out…regroup, get yourself together."

"Ok," Rayna leant away from him, throwing her hands in the air as she let out a low laugh. "I take it back. Askin' me for a new vocal is nothin' compared to this new idea of yours…You can't seriously think that I can just up and go away. I mean, how the hell would that even? No."

"All you'd have to do is hop on a plane. I'd buy the tickets." Liam smiled, looking her straight in the eye as he reached out to touch her knee.

Rayna's eyes flew from his eyes to his hand on her. "Don't be ridiculous! There's no way we're doin' that-"

"You're honestly saying you don't wanna get away, _relax_…and _unwind_…" Liam paused, a smirk creeping across his lips as his fingers brushed across her knees. He knew full well that Rayna would turn the offer down. He wasn't stupid. Even if she wouldn't admit it, Liam knew that Rayna and Deacon were seeing each other. After everything that had gone down in Louisville, Rayna hadn't said one word about Deacon. He'd waited for the fallout but nothing had happened. They had to be together, it was the only logical explanation. He knew better than to push her buttons and watch her squirm, but it'd been a long day and he would've been lying if he said that he was through with waiting for her to tell him the truth.

"Liam-" Rayna started, cheeks flushed as her eyes darted between his eyes and his fingers on her knee.

"Hellooo!" Daphne hollered, bouncing in through a door on the opposite side of the glass. "Mom? Hello?"

Rayna swore under her breath and she promptly tried to put distance between Liam and herself. Liam laughed at the unease that suddenly filled the air. Rayna looked up just in time to see the smile disappear from Deacon's face.

"Hey!" Rayna pushed herself up off the lounge. "What are y'all doin'-?"

"We thought we'd bring you this to make you feel better since you didn't sound so good on the phone…" Maddie grinned and handed Rayna the coffee cup before pushing past her to take a look at all the flashing panels and mixing boards. Daphne jumped on the stool next to Liam and began spinning the stool around in circles.

"Why do I feel like they're only here to see the studio and not me?" Rayna stepped towards Deacon warily when she noticed that his eyes were still fixed on Liam. She tilted her head, hoping to catch his attention. "At least tell me you're here to see me…"

He didn't reply.

"Babe, hello? You're kinda leavin' a girl hangin'-"

Deacon shifted his feet, reluctantly breaking the hold his eyes had on Liam to look at Rayna. He released the breath he didn't realize he was holding and smiled at her. "Darlin', I'm here to do or be whatever you need me to be."

"You are?"

"I thought you might need a lift home too after you're done here too so...thought we'd drop by."

Rayna swayed a little, smile wide as she discreetly reached for his hand. "You're good to me."

"I doubt you'll be sayin' that when those little ladies over there start runnin' a riot in your work space."

"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I think havin' y'all here, havin' _you_ here is kinda what I need right now after all."

"Have y'all got much done?" Deacon asked as he looked over her shoulder at Liam again. "Seemed like y'all were havin' a good ol'-"

"_And_…there it is," Rayna exhaled, a smile spreading across her face, as she looked him up and down.

Deacon frowned. "There's what?"

"Babe, I chose you…" Rayna rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder at Liam before turning back to him. Deacon cocked his head. "…No one else, I choose _you_."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about." Deacon lied, trying to keep a neutral expression. He smirked. "I like the set up y'all have got here. It's nice…"

"Mmhmm, I'm sure that's what you were lookin' at."

Rayna chewed her lip and settled on the fact that he was way too proud to verbalize that he was jealous. She found it all quite amusing, ridiculous even. He didn't have anything to worry about; she knew it and so did he. Rayna looked at the cold stare fixed on his face as he looked over her shoulder and she laughed. She didn't want to admit it, but something about the way he was getting agitated got her all hot and bothered. Rayna cleared her throat as she felt her cheeks flush. She couldn't be thinking about him, or _that_. At least not right now, not here.

"If I touch this…what will happ-?" Daphne asked, reaching out to touch a dial on the mixing board.

"Uh uh!" Liam warned, reaching for her hand.

Maddie took two steps backwards.

"What about-?"

Rayna spun around. "Daphne!"

**NASHVILLE –**

**Two hours later**

Settled on the lounge chair behind them, Daphne's eyes were glued to Rayna's cell phone and the game she was playing. Rayna didn't usually resort to bribes, but today she'd bribed the little girl with chocolate and games on her phone. It had seemed to work because they hadn't heard a peep out of her for the last twenty minutes. Rayna turned her attention back to the track that had been playing through the speakers. It was a new song she'd been working on and they were in the final stages of pulling it together.

She hadn't planned on playing anything for Deacon; she hadn't planned on playing anything for anyone. But when he had sat down and listened to all of her ideas, frustrations, excitement and insecurities it had brought back a flood of memories and pastimes. They had always shared this part of themselves with each other, and sitting with him like this made it impossible for her not to want to share her new material with him.

Rayna wasn't sure if he knew, but his opinion had always mattered most when it came to this sort of thing. Deacon always knew how to bring out the best in her, especially in her music. Sometimes he'd make suggestions on a lyric or chordal adjustment, other times he would just smile and she'd know what needed to be done. Music and him, they were one and the same. That was one of the many things she had grown to love about him.

Liam hit a button on the mixing desk when the song ended.

"So?" Liam drummed his fingers on his knees as he spun around to face Rayna and Deacon.

Rayna looked at Deacon expectantly.

Deacon scratched his chin and leant forward. "It was…I, it's…I liked it, I did-"

"_But_…" Rayna interrupted, shifting uneasily in her seat. "There's a but…I can feel it."

"No buts, I just think that maybe the guitar solo was a little bit busy-" Deacon shrugged and crossed his arms as he settled back into the seat.

"I played that guitar solo," Liam frowned.

Deacon chuckled. "Oh, I'm aware of that."

Rayna's eyebrows shot up.

"How would you suggest it be played then?" Liam straightened in his chair, his eyes set on Deacon.

"I dunno, just somethin' a little less like _that_…"

"Dea-" Rayna started.

"Ray, besides that I think the mix is good, y'all did good. I'm just not feelin' the guitar solo is all."

"You mean you don't like Liam is what you mean…" Rayna mumbled as she twirled a strand of hair in her hair. Deacon didn't seem to catch what she'd said, but Liam did. Rayna immediately cursed herself for opening her mouth.

Liam gave Rayna a knowing look and cleared his throat. "I'm open to suggestions, really-"

A gentle tune tumbled into the control room where they were all seated and the conversation fell silent. Everyone swivelled their chairs in the direction of the sound and their eyes fell on the two girls sitting at the piano on the other side of the glass. Maddie was playing a simple melody while Daphne stood quietly beside her watching. She fumbled in a few places, playing the wrong key here and there, sometimes letting out a quiet cry of frustration. Liam, Rayna and Deacon sat for a good while watching the pair, captivated by the sweet simplicity of what was unfolding before them.

Rayna leant in Deacon's direction and turned her head to speak but he wasn't there. She frowned. Liam nudged her and pointed to the live room. Rayna turned back just in time to see Deacon take a seat on the piano stool beside Maddie.

"That's a pretty song you're playin'," Deacon rubbed his palms on his knees as Maddie continued to play.

"Thanks…" she laughed and looked at him. "But I wouldn't call it pretty,"

"What'd you mean?"

"She means that she sucks at piano," Daphne grinned and leant against the piano.

"I do not…" Maddie glared at her before looking back at Deacon. "My fingers or my hands, or both…just aren't used to playing like this because usually I'm strumming strings and stuff like that."

"It can be a little tricky," Deacon nodded, tentatively playing a key on the piano. "But practicin' can help with that. You ain't as bad as you think darlin'…I mean, what you were playin' just now sounded a lot like a song your Mom and I wrote years ago."

"That's probably because it was," Maddie said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Deacon raised his eyebrows and looked back through the glass to Rayna. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"She was playing the flying song." Daphne piped up.

"The flying song?" Deacon chuckled.

"Yeah, the flying one."

"I don't know that I've heard a song called that…" he teased the nine-year-old.

"Yes, you have!"

"Mmmmm-"

"You have!" Daphne giggled. "You wrote it, it's on one of Mom's albums!"

"Well," Deacon began to play the piano softly. "I don't know that I know that one…But I know one that goes a little like this…"

Deacon faltered as his fingers quickly remembered the chords to the old song and the lyrics that would follow. Both girls looked at him expectantly and he gestured to Maddie to follow along. Maddie bit her lip and lifted her right hand to the keys and carefully followed his lead. Daphne swayed back and forth as she watched them play. They fell into a steady rhythm, laughing and mumbling nonsense as they went. No one seemed to notice Rayna sneak into the room as they kept playing.

"_Well some say life will beat you down_," Deacon sang, his fingers finding the right chords as he smiled at the girls. "_Break your heart_…"

"_It'll steal your crown_." Maddie sang shyly and Deacon nodded encouragingly.

"_So I've started out_," they sang together, Maddie taking the melody and Deacon and Daphne taking harmonies. "_For God knows where. I guess I'll know when I get there_."

Deacon shot Daphne a cheeky grin. "_I'm learnin' to fly_…"

"_Learning to fly_…" Maddie and Daphne echoed him.

"_But I ain't got wings_." Rayna sang, stepping into their vision as she walked around the piano to stand behind Daphne. Deacon looked at Rayna lovingly and she returned the smile as she wrapped her arms around Daphne.

"_Comin' down_," Deacon sang and the all three girls echoed him. "_Is the hardest thing, hardest thing…yeah_."

Rayna swayed Daphne as she sang softly. "_I'm learnin' to fly, learnin' to fly_."

They all looked at each other and Deacon played the final chord before they all sang together. "_Learning…to fly_."

Daphne clapped gleefully and Rayna pulled her closer into her arms and kissed the top of her head as she watched Deacon share a word of encouragement with Maddie. They burst into fits of laughter and Deacon nudged Maddie playfully with his shoulder.

"I'm starving…" Daphne sighed.

Rayna looked up at the clock. "We better be gettin' y'all home so you can get some food into you."

"So Deacon's coming too?" Daphne asked.

"Huh?"

"You said we…So is he?"

"Sweetheart-"

"Tonight's pizza night Deacon-" Daphne scratched her cheek.

"He might already have plans," Rayna tried, meeting his gaze to try and let him know that there was no pressure to do what the little girl wanted.

Deacon bit his tongue to hide his smile.

"He might not even wanna hang out with you…" Maddie teased. She jumped when she accidently knocked a key with her elbow.

"He wants to hang out with Mom though, duh." Daphne shook her head.

"What?" Rayna made a face.

"You know, because…" Daphne started before turning around in Rayna's arms to look up at her. "He's your _boyfriend_."

Rayna's eyes grew wide and she tried to keep a straight face. "Ok, baby-"

"I'd love me some pizza," Deacon interjected, sensing that Rayna had no idea where she was going to go with that sentence. "If y'all would have me that is."

"Yes!" Daphne exclaimed.

"Uhuh, Mom please." Maddie nodded.

Rayna sighed. "Pizza it is!"

**- NASHVILLE -**

"I want pepperoni-!"

"Ew, gross!" Maddie groaned.

"If y'all don't stop fightin' _I'm_ gonna decide what we order," Rayna warned and they immediately went quiet.

"Do I get a say in what we order?" Deacon teased as he pulled the car into her driveway.

Rayna chuckled and looked down at her cell phone. "Only if you behave,"

"Umm, didn't know you were expectin' company tonight," Deacon said slowly.

"What? No. I'm not." Rayna looked up as the headlights cast light on a car parked at the front steps. She clutched her phone tightly and felt her whole body go cold.

"What?" Maddie looked confused.

"Dad, that's Dad's car! Dad's here!" Daphne bounced in her seat, grabbing the headrest of the chair in front of her.

"Mmhmm," Rayna agreed, her eyes darting in Deacon's direction as he pulled the handbrake on. "That's your Dad's car."


	5. Chapter 5

**NB: THANK YOU everyone for your reviews, the time you take to read this story, and your support. Knowing that you are as enthusiastic about LITTLE SECRETS as I am definitely makes me want to write this story better as I go. PLEASE KEEP your LOVES/HATES/THOUGHTS/HOPES/FAVORITE LINES AND MOMENTS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES and WHATEVER ELSE coming...Merry Christmas from me to you..Enjoy chapter five..**

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

"Are you ok?" Deacon whispered, hoping that the girls couldn't hear the concern in his voice as he watched Rayna slowly undo her seatbelt.

Maddie untangled herself from her seatbelt and frowned. "Why's dad here? Mom, I thought it was your week?"

"Ray," Deacon tried again.

"Who cares?! Dad's here! Race you inside?" Daphne clutched the door handle. She opened her door and Maddie did the same.

"Darlin', what'd you-" Deacon turned around when he heard the back doors opening. "Hey, hang on…Don't go just-"

Maddie and Daphne went bolting in the direction of the house.

Rayna's head darted in Deacon's direction when she registered that he was talking to her. "Um, I don't…"

"Do you want me to come in with you?" he asked, his eyes searching hers.

Rayna wanted Deacon by her side when she walked into that house, but she didn't know if that would do more harm than good right now. She hadn't told Teddy that she'd been seeing Deacon again and she knew that was definitely not going to go down well. The last few months had been messy with the divorce and custody arrangements. Rayna had grown to dread the times when she saw Teddy because they would leave her mentally and emotionally drained. There had been many arguments and disagreements as to how things would go with the girls, but they'd eventually agreed on suitable arrangements that would work for both the girls and them.

Now that they were divorced, their conversations seemed to revolve around Maddie and Daphne. Usually, Teddy managed to make some offhanded remark about Deacon, letting her know his disgust and disapproval of him. Mostly, Rayna just ignored it, but some days she'd get so fed up with it that she'd throw her two cents in about Peggy. That always seemed to shut him up. Rayna hadn't shared any of this with Deacon but she sensed that he probably knew what was going on. He always knew how to read her, even when she tried hiding her feelings from him. He could tell what she was thinking, he always could.

"Babe, I think," Rayna reached for his hand. "Maybe we'll give pizza a miss tonight?"

"All you have to do is ask," he looked her in the eyes. "And I'll stay, I'll come in with you."

"It's fine,"

"Darlin', you said it yourself, you weren't expectin' him. The last thing I want is for you to have-"

"It's probably nothin'," Rayna said unconvincingly. She broke eye contact and scratched her head. "Really, he probably just left somethin' here last week and he's come back to get it. It'll be fine."

Deacon looked at her for a long while before speaking. "Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure," Rayna nodded and reluctantly grabbed her belongings before pushing the door open. "I'll call you later, babe."

"Wait," he jumped, tugging at her arm. He didn't want her to go in looking like that. He hated seeing her on edge and anxious. Rayna turned back around. Deacon pulled her towards him and kissed her softly.

She broke the kiss and smiled uneasily. "I'll call you…"

Rayna slammed the car door and reluctantly headed into the house. She dropped her things on a little table next to the front door and listened for any signs of movement. She heard the girls before she saw them.

"He picked us up from school, and then he brought us food-"

"I had two whole burgers and half of Maddie's, it was so awesome!"

"Yeah, no that was just gross," Maddie said curtly. "You wanna know what was really awesome dad? Awesome was going to mom's studio. We got to hang out where she works. Dad, it was so cool. I got to play a real piano that artists like record on…and then Deacon was teaching me a song-"

Rayna's eyes grew wide at the mention of Deacon's name, as she stood hidden in the hallway. Teddy was going to fly off the handle if he heard Deacon's name again, she could feel it.

"And all four of us sang-" Daphne added excitedly as she skipped around the kitchen.

"Hey," Rayna cut into the conversation as she entered the kitchen.

Teddy looked up at Rayna, deliberating glaring at her when their eyes met. "Hi,"

"Mom, dad's here."

"I know, I can see that." she nodded, trying to remain composed despite how unsettled she felt.

"Sorry I didn't call," Teddy took Daphne's hand and twirled her around. "I just assumed that you remembered I was pickin' the girls up tonight."

"You were?" Rayna frowned and then realisation dawned her. "Oh, shoot! Today's Friday isn't it? I'm so sorry, I totally forgot."

"Yeah-"

"What's going on?" Maddie asked.

"You girls are coming home with me tonight." Teddy replied cheerfully, despite his obvious frustration.

Maddie looked at her parents blankly, clearly wanting an explanation. "But I thought it was mom's week."

"I know sweetie, but you're daddy is taking y'all to the zoo tomorrow for the animal education fundraiser and opening of that new exhibit." Rayna forced a smile and caught Daphne in her arms as she ran past her. "Remember?"

Maddie nodded slowly.

Rayna stroked Daphne's hair as she looked from one girl to the other. "So you two need to go pack a few-"

"But I wanted to eat pizza with-" Daphne protested, whipping her head around suddenly. "With Deacon? Where is he?"

Rayna swallowed hard and avoided Teddy's gaze. Sometimes she had no idea why her nine-year-old had to open her mouth. She tried smiling to shake the discomfort gurgling in her stomach.

"Yeah," Maddie agreed, looking causally in the direction of the front door. "Where is he anyway?"

"Why don't y'all run on upstairs and pack yourselves some things for the night, hey?" Teddy suggested slowly, his eyes not leaving Rayna as he smiled. "Your mom and I need to talk."

Both girls sensed the tension and looked to their mother for direction.

"I'll be up in a minute," she nodded encouragingly in the direction of the stairs as she grabbed a hold of the counter. "Off you go."

They did as they were told and disappeared. Rayna was sure she heard Daphne grumbling about pizza as they climbed the stairs but she didn't take much notice, she was too busy trying to stop her heart from beating any faster.

"So we're lettin' strangers pick them up from school now?" Teddy asked coldly, breaking the silence that had settled over the room. "Is that it?"

Rayna looked up suddenly. "What?!"

"I thought you cared about our daughter's safety."

"I do." she narrowed her eyes.

"So lettin' Deacon-?"

"Oh, come off it, Teddy," Rayna scoffed. "You know good and well that our girls have known Deacon their whole lives. They've grown up callin' him uncle Deacon-"

"He's not good for them, no good for anyone," Teddy interjected, emphasizing the last few words as he shook his head. "I honestly can't believe you think that it's okay for them to be spendin' time-"

"You're kiddin', right?" Rayna folded her arms, fury crossing her face.

"I don't want him comin' around here."

"You're bein' ridiculous."

"I'm bein' ridiculous?" Teddy asked sarcastically, jerking his thumb at himself.

"Yeah, you are. I don't get it. One minute you're threatenin' to tell Deacon the _truth_ and the next you're flyin' off the handle because he's takin' the girls out for burgers?!"

"_You_," Teddy pointed at Rayna, his tone angry and bitter. "Might be sleepin' with him Rayna-"

"Excuse me!" Rayna's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped. She looked in the direction of the stairs, hoping that girls weren't in earshot.

"But that doesn't mean he get's to come on in here and act like he's their damn father, because he's not!" Teddy spat.

Rayna stood frozen in place and unable to form any words as she digested what he was saying. Before she could give any thought to what her mouth was doing she spoke. "He's Maddie's father."

As angry and unreasonable as he was being, she knew those words cut him when she saw the hurt that filled his eyes. Just as quickly as she saw it, it disappeared.

"You've been real good at makin' sure I remember that lately."

"_I'm_ her father, not him," Teddy shook his head. He picked up a piece of fruit out of the fruit bowl and shot her a knowing look. "But I guess you'd see it differently because you're lettin' him get into your bed and your-"

"Our girls are just up those stairs," Rayna forced the point as she gestured to the stairs. "So choose what you're gonna say _very carefully_..." she warned. She was in no mood for whatever vulgar and offhanded comment that was sure to come tumbling out of his mouth if she didn't put a stop to it.

"I'm her father...she doesn't have to know any different."

Rayna sighed, throwing her hand in the air. "No one said you weren't...but I sure as hell ain't sayin' that he's not either."

Teddy looked at her resentfully.

"And before you get any crazy ideas about blackmailin' and usin' me or your daughter again in some nasty game of yours...Deacon_ knows_."

"He knows?" Teddy laughed bitterly.

"Mmhmm, he does," she nodded surely, finally feeling like she had the upper hand in this argument. "And you know, he's not goin' anywhere, Teddy so-"

"Rayna, the last thing I wanna do is argue and be petty about any of this," Teddy said.

Rayna stifled a laugh and rolled her eyes. Of course he wanted to argue and be petty, that's exactly what he was doing right now. They heard feet running back and forth upstairs and paused.

Teddy broke the silence, finishing the sentence he'd started before. "But I don't want him around, I don't want Maddie finding out the truth about all of this."

"I don't get it? All you've done for weeks is give me grief about wantin' to keep the truth from everyone and now when I'm finally doin' what you said you're-"

"I've changed my mind."

"You don't get to make that call."

"Remember when she was born? That day in the hospital, it was me, not him, me...We decided, and you promised. We need to, you need to honor what we agreed on. I don't want him comin' around."

"Or what?"

"You're gonna want to hope you don't find out." Teddy said carefully, emphasizing each word, as he looked her in the eye.

Rayna took a step back. "Do not threaten me."

"All I'm saying is that I don't want him around our daughters-"

"Mom!" Maddie yelled, interrupting the argument. They both looked at each other and then at the stairs.

"Yeah?!" Rayna called warily, clutching her hands to hide her sudden shaking.

"Daphne won't get up off of her bed! She won't pack anything!"

Rayna frowned and slowly wandered in the direction of the voice that was talking to her. "Why not?"

"Because she wants pizza...with Deacon."

Rayna looked at Teddy reluctantly and immediately regretted it. He shot her a look that could kill.

"Shut up! You want pizza too!" Daphne defended feistily.

"Daphne Ray..." Rayna warned. "I'm comin' up there if you don't get your behind off that bed." she put her hands on hips as she waited to hear a reply.

"I'm moving, I'm moving." she groaned.

Rayna turned her attention back to Teddy, who looked more than ready to continue what he'd been saying.

"Like I was sayin'-" Teddy started.

"Ouch! Daphne! Mom!" Maddie yelled.

Rayna let out the breath she'd been holding and bolted up the stairs, silently thanking her youngest for giving her a way out of that hell of a conversation. "I'm coming!"

**- NASHVILLE -**

Pacing the kitchen back and forth, Rayna swung her arms around and blew heavily. She'd tried processing all that had happened in the last half hour but everything inside of her was racing too fast, twisting and tangling into a mess she feared she wouldn't be able to undo. Different emotions overtook her heart and mind as she walked. Fear. Confusion. Anger. Frustration. Dread. She tried shaking Teddy's words from her head, spinning in circles in the hope that it'd do some good. It didn't work, if anything, it just made her dizzy. Why the hell had he done that? Rayna looked down at her sweaty palms and wiped them on her jeans. She suddenly felt claustrophobic and her eyes darted in every which direction. She needed to get out of the house. She needed to breathe.

Rayna broke into a jog, swiftly pulling the sliding door to the patio open. She didn't stop jogging until she collapsed at the pool edge. Rayna pulled her knees up under her chin and whatever resolve she'd been holding onto disappeared. Her breathing settled but the tears came, falling silently as she stared out at the water. A sudden chill tore through her body, and she pulled her knees closer to her chest.

"Baby, it's cold. What're you doin' out here?" Deacon asked, his tone filled with concern as he walked down the steps towards her. He had gone home like Rayna had asked, but he'd only made it to the front door of his house before he turned around and hopped back in his car. He didn't feel right about leaving her alone and he knew he'd been right to come back when she wouldn't answer her phone. Deacon had knocked, called her name and gotten no reply when he'd finally gone inside. He'd searched the whole house looking for her and gotten worried when he couldn't find her. He was walking to his car when he caught sight of the open door to the patio. Relief had filled his body when he had seen her sitting by the pool. "Rayna?"

Rayna quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, and she straightened her posture when she heard his footsteps draw closer. She cleared her throat and threw him a smile before looking out at the pool. "Hey, I was gonna call-"

"Are you cryin'?" Deacon interjected. He sat down beside her, worry crossing his face as he tried to get her to look at him. "Darlin'-"

"I'm fine, Teddy came over to pick up the girls for some fundraiser thing-"

"Ray, you're not fine. I know when you're fine...and this isn't you bein' fine. What happened with Teddy? What'd he say to you?"

"Basically," Rayna exhaled and ran a hand through her hair. "He doesn't want you anywhere near the girls, especially Maddie."

"Seriously?" Deacon looked at her incredulously. "Ray, that's crazy."

"He thinks it's better for Maddie not to know the truth...about..." Rayna struggled to find the words she needed.

"...me." Deacon finished the sentence quietly, swallowing the weight of Rayna's words.

"You." Rayna nodded. "That's what he wants."

Deacon rubbed his hands together and looked up at the sky. He'd expected Teddy to be angry about his relationship with Rayna, but he should've known that Teddy would pull something like this too. Deacon never thought it was possible to despise that man any more than he already did, but somehow, sitting here, he did. They sat quietly for a long while.

"What do you want?" Deacon whispered.

Rayna looked at him, pain and confusion clouding her eyes. "I want what's best for Maddie."

He nodded quickly, hiding the hurt from the blow of those words.

"But I also want what's best for you, best for us," she continued, reaching out for his hand.

"I want that too." Deacon replied, relief flooding his insides as he squeezed her hand. He didn't want to lose her, couldn't lose her, not again. "I wanna be there for her, and you, if you want me to be."

"The biggest mistake, my biggest regret..." Rayna shift her position to look at him. Her voice broke. "Deacon, it's not telling you that you had a daughter sooner. You missed out on so much of her life, so many moments that a parent deserves to experience...And I can't do anythin' for you to get that back. I hate myself for it-"

"Shhh," Deacon shook his head. "Don't do that to yourself."

"I can't help it,"

"Stop, you hear? There's no good that can come from thinkin' about all of that."

Rayna nodded, instinctively collapsing into his arms when he opened them to her. "I want her to know you...really know you. Babe, I want that."

Deacon kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to his body.

"But for now, I think we need to wait and take it one day at a time...If you're okay with that?"

"I've waited thirteen years," he joked as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm sure a little while longer ain't gonna hurt anyone."

"Thank you," Rayna mumbled against his neck before resting her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled before taking on a sarcastic tone. "I also don't care much for gettin' in the way of the mayors wishes-"

"Oh, ok," Rayna scoffed, slapping his chest as she looked up at him. "You're full of it! You and I both know you love doin' the complete opposite of what the mayor wants."

"Mmmmm,"

"Wanna know the one good thing that came out of tonight?" Rayna smirked, running her hand up and down his chest. "Teddy finally knows that you are I are-"

"Doin' this?" Deacon caught her off guard by finishing the sentence and leaning in to kiss her strong and hard. Rayna responded quickly, wrapping her hands around his neck. He deepened the kiss as he pulled her closer.

She giggled and pulled away to gesture at their mouths. "I was actually talkin' about what comes after this."

Deacon raised his eyebrows as a smirk spread across his lips. "What comes after this?"

"What comes after this?" Rayna grinned as she stood up slowly. She began to walk backwards towards the house. "Hmmm, I don't know, babe," Her eyes were set on his as she began to unbutton her shirt. "I don't know."

Deacon's face broke into a grin as he scrambled to find his feet. "I might have a good idea about how it's supposed to go."

"Is that right?" Rayna cocked her head as she undid the last button.

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, what are you waitin' for?"


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: THANK YOU readers and reviewers for your kindness and your support of this story. I feel like a broken record, but I can't thank you enough or express how appreciative that I am. PLEASE KEEP your LOVES/HATES/HOPES/FAVORITE LINES OR MOMENTS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES…OR WHATEVER ELSE COMING…Enjoy Chapter Six..**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

"Hey, sweetheart," Rayna smiled at Maddie when she heard her open the fridge door. "Can you grab those lunch boxes out of the fridge for me, please."

Maddie did what she was told and pulled the lunch boxes out and chucked them on the counter. She turned back to the fridge to get a bottle of orange juice before taking a seat on a stool in front of Rayna.

"Anything excitin' happenin' at school today?" Rayna stirred her coffee and chucked the spoon in the sink.

"Nope," Maddie shook her head.

"Nothin'?"

"Exciting would be you letting me stay home from school and come with you to the studio." Maddie grinned hopefully before taking a sip of orange juice.

"Mmm," Rayna raised an eyebrow. "Nicely played.."

"So I can-?!"

Rayna held up a hand to silence her. "But you're goin' to school."

"Mom-"

"I can't find my school shoes!" Daphne cried as she tore through the kitchen like a tornado. She stopped to look at Rayna, her face pained and desperate. "I've looked everywhere and it's stressing me out!" Rayna laughed and that made the little girl angrier. "Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not laughin'," Rayna hid her mouth behind her coffee cup as she stifled a laugh. "Have you tried looking under that pile of clothes by your cupboard?" Rayna suggested.

Daphne looked at her blankly.

"You know, the pile of clothes I asked you to put away yesterday?" Rayna gave her a knowing look.

"No, but-"

"Go and look there."

Daphne disappeared and they heard the thumping of feet climb the stairs. Maddie picked up her cell phone and started busily tapping the screen. Rayna went to do the same but something had been nagging at her for the last few days that she'd been meaning to talk to her eldest about, so she put her phone down.

"So..."

"So..." Maddie mimicked her without looking up from her phone. Rayna could tell she was still cranky that she wasn't allowed go to the studio.

"Your birthday is next week." Rayna hummed, hoping that the mention of the word birthday would capture her attention.

Maddie didn't seem the least bit interested. "Yep."

"I was wonderin' if you maybe wanted to do something special, you know, a party or...?"

"I'm turning fourteen," Maddie said dryly. "There's nothing real special about turning fourteen."

"It's not every day that I get to be home for your birthday, honey," Rayna replied as she ducked her head to try and meet her gaze. "Don't you think it'd-?"

"Mom," Maddie looked up suddenly. Rayna jumped. "I really don't..Is it okay if we stop talking about this?"

Taken aback, Rayna nodded slowly and agreed. She furrowed her brow and watched Maddie finish off the last of her orange juice. Maddie hadn't been rude, but something wasn't right. Rayna could feel it. "Sure, sweetheart."

"Found them!" Daphne yelled.

"We're going to Aunt Tandy's tonight, aren't we?" Maddie changed the subject and finally put her cell phone down.

"Mmhmm," Rayna collected the empty bowls off the counter.

"Is grandpa gonna be there?" Maddie asked.

Rayna stopped short and felt the weight of her daughter's eyes on her. She almost felt like Maddie was testing her. The girls were unaware of the conflict between their grandfather and their mother, and Rayna wanted it to stay that way. However, pretending that everything was good and well was harder than she thought.

"Mom?"

"No, honey," she forced a smile and an even cheerier tone. "Your grandpa isn't gonna be there."

"What about dad?" Daphne asked as she wandered into the kitchen.

Maddie shot Daphne a look. "Do you really think dad would wanna go to Aunt Tandy's?"

Rayna's eyebrows shot up.

"I thought maybe with Penny, yeah-" Daphne shrugged.

"You mean _Peggy_...Why would she be-? They won't be there." Maddie said bluntly. "_Trust_ me."

Daphne shook her head. "That's not what Peggy said."

Maddie made a face. "Since when are you taking her side over-?"

"Wh-? Back up," Rayna interrupted them, a sudden anger bubbling inside. Both girls looked at Rayna and she paused, swallowing the venom sitting on her tongue. She loathed that woman, and she hated the idea of Peggy being in any kind of proximity of her daughters, but Maddie and Daphne didn't know that. Newspapers and magazines had already encouraged Maddie's fury and shaped her bitter opinion of Peggy, so letting the girls know how she felt about Peggy was the last thing she planned on doing. She inhaled and smiled sweetly. "When did y'all see um-" Rayna cleared her throat and loosely waved her hand around. "Peggy?"

"At the zoo at dad's thing the other day." Maddie spoke up.

"The zoo?"

Daphne replied matter-of-factly. "Her and dad are dating."

"They're-? What'd you just say?" Rayna tried hiding the shock on her face as she bit her tongue.

"No," Maddie rolled her eyes at Rayna and shook her head at Daphne. "They're not dating, we just think they are."

"They are too, Maddie," Daphne scrunched up her face. "You heard what-"

"Shut up!" Maddie pushed Daphne's shoulder.

"You shut-!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rayna exclaimed. "Enough." She felt her head start to spin as the girl's words began to replay in her head. "We're gonna be late if y'all keep this up. Grab these, come on." Rayna handed both girls their lunch boxes. "Let's go."

"Mom?" Daphne asked as they walked towards the front door.

"Mmhmm," Rayna nodded, but she wasn't really listening as she picked up her cell phone and car keys.

"What about Deacon?"

Rayna frowned. "What about Deacon?"

"Is he coming to Aunt Tandy's for dinner?" she ran into Maddie as she turned around to walk backwards so she could talk to Rayna. "Because we haven't seen him in like a week and I thought-"

"Daphne, I swear..." she spoke over the little girl as she ushered her out the door.

"No _grandpa_, no _dad_, no _Deacon_...Tonight is gonna be _so_ boring..." the little girl grumbled.

"I still can't come with you today, can I?" Maddie frowned.

Rayna shook her head.

"Why?"

"Because Momma's got plans." Rayna replied.

**- NASHVILLE -**

Rayna stepped out of the elevator and into a busy corridor. All good sense and reason had told her to turn her car around before she got here, but she'd pushed those thoughts away and come anyway. Rayna nodded discreetly to people as she walked and silently hoped that she was doing the right thing. She kept a look out for the door to the Mayor's office as she rehearsed what she was going to say. Rayna had been so wrapped in her own thoughts that she almost tripped over her feet when someone called out her name. She swore. Peggy.

"Well, this is a surprise!" Peggy called out, almost too gleefully.

Rayna pursed her lips and spun around to face her. She smiled the sugary smile she reserved for the nosey and intrusive business and reporter types that she'd grown to despise over the years. "Took the words right outta my mouth."

"Wouldn't think you'd have any business showing up here these days, you know, considering that..." Peggy nodded in the direction of Teddy's office and smiled. "You have no reason to."

Rayna was sure that she could taste blood when her teeth sunk into her tongue. That woman sure had nerve. The last time she'd seen Peggy face-to-face had been the night of the election. Memories came rushing back, flooding and overwhelming the recesses of her mind. The one she grasped onto was the one where she'd slapped Peggy. Rayna sent up a silent prayer and willed herself to do anything but that again.

"I'm just as happy to see you here, too," Rayna replied, her tone a chirpy and sarcastic mixture. "Believe me."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Peggy spoke with mock sympathy. "I work here now. I'm the mayor's financial consultant."

Rayna adjusted her handbag and smirked. Of course she had to throw that in. "Oh, I don't doubt that you..._work_...and _consult_ for the Mayor."

Peggy narrowed her eyes and smiled at someone walking past them. "What are you doing here, Rayna?"

"Not that it's any of your business what I'm doin' in this part of town...But Teddy and I still have children together, we have daughters that we parent and look after...So, if you don't mind-"

"Maddie and Daphne, right?" Peggy taunted, stepping closer to Rayna. She waved her hand around and Rayna took a step backwards, slowly setting her jaw. "The little one is just so adorable, especially when she's with her daddy-"

"Don't for a second talk about my girls like you know them," Rayna fumed, a fire igniting in her eyes. "Because you don't."

"I know that they had a great time with their dad and I on Saturday at the zoo. We saw the tigers and the monkeys, we ate ice cream-"

"You don't know-"

"Oh, I know more than you give me credit for," Peggy countered, twisting the knife a little further when she saw the uneasy look in Rayna's eyes. "Getting angry over Teddy letting those girls spend the day with us is rich coming for you."

"If you'll excuse me," Rayna seethed, looking Peggy up and down. If she didn't walk away now, she was going to say something she'd regret. "I've gotta find Teddy so-"

Peggy goaded her. "You let those girls run around town with someone like Deacon…And you call yourself a good mot-"

Rayna whirled around and snapped, viciously pointing a finger at Peggy. "You know what? You can take that smug look and your smart backtalk and shove it up your-"

"Hey y'all!" Tandy practically sang as she hurried up the corridor. Rayna shot Tandy a fierce look as she clenched her fists.

Peggy looked up at Tandy, immediately losing the nasty edge to her tone. "Oh, hi Tandy."

"Hey, Peggy, how are you?" she forced a smile and looked over at Rayna, her eyes questioning Rayna's before she looked at Peggy again. "Coleman was looking for you earlier. I told him I'd pass on the message."

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go look for him." Peggy replied, shooting Rayna one last look before walking away.

Tandy reached out for Rayna's arm, linking it with her own as she grinned and called out after Peggy. "You do that." They stood like this until Peggy was out of earshot. Tandy spun around, eyes wide as she spoke. "What the hell were you thinkin'?!"

Rayna glared at her. "I was thinkin' of givin' her a piece of my mind till you showed up and-"

"Stopped you from doin' somethin' stupid!" Tandy finished, stretching her arms out wide.

"Why are you here?!" Rayna exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

"I was droppin' in to give a thank you gift to the girls at reception for keepin' me up to date with all the gossip. What are you doin' here?"

"You say that like it's normal, bribing people to keep you in the loop."

Tandy shrugged.

"I had it under control."

"You call that under control?" Tandy raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Sweetie, I just saved you from having _crazy-screamin'-ex-wife-of-the-Mayor_ added to what people are sayin' about you in this office."

Rayna frowned, promptly looking up and down the corridor before looking at Tandy straight. "What are people sayin' about me?"

"Ok, that's not the point here. The point is that no good will come from you makin' the Mayor's _financial consultant_ angry..." Tandy lingered on the last few words before waving her hand aimlessly in the air. "And we all know she's doin' a hell of a lot more _personal_ consultations than _financial_ ones...but, you can't go around doin' stuff like that."

Rayna blew heavily. "Yeah, I know that. I mean, I wasn't even here to see her, she just showed up outta nowhere! I came to sort out this whole mess with Teddy. He's still adamant that the girls aren't allowed to be around Deacon, but then he goes and gets." Rayna gestured in the direction that Peggy had walked off in. "Her involved. I mean, this is all so ridiculous!"

Tandy nodded, choosing not to speak for fear she'd say the wrong thing.

"I...I've gotta talk to him," Rayna sighed wearily as she looked at Teddy's office door.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Rayna shook her head. "No, babe, it's somethin' I've gotta do myself."

"Ok," Tandy nodded, pointing towards the elevator. "But I'm gonna wait out here just in case...you know, y'all start another world war in there."

"Very funny..." she pursed her lips and headed towards Teddy's office. Rayna dragged her feet as the distance between her and the office door grew smaller. She felt a wave of nausea sweep over her, but she quickly swallowed it down and kept on walking. Before she could talk herself out of going inside, she knocked on the door.

"Come in,"

Hesitantly, Rayna peeked around the corner of the door and opened it slowly.

Teddy looked up from a filing cabinet on the other side of the room and frowned. "What do you want?"

"Hello, to you, too."

"Rayna, I'm swamped with a load of paperwork," he replied, his facial expression clearly showing his agitation as he threw his weight against the filing cabinet drawer. "So forgive me for not really bein' in any mood-"

"I'm sorry. I was just hopin' that maybe you and I could talk for a quick second."

Teddy looked at her solemnly.

Rayna stepped into the office and closed the door. "See if we can try and come to some kind of understanding of what life is gonna look like now that you and I aren't together anymore...Can we do that like reasonable people?"

Teddy walked around his desk and leant against the front of it, crossing his arms as he listened.

"The way that we've both handled things lately has been...shockin', embarrassin' even. I know you have your reservations about Deacon-"

"And you have yours about Peggy." Teddy pointed out.

"Mmhmm, yep. I do." Rayna nodded curtly and she tried to stop bitterness creeping into her voice. "But I think that we need to put both of our personal opinions aside, don't you?"

Teddy exhaled.

"I know you're scared that you're gonna lose the girls, lose Maddie...You'll always be her father, Teddy."

"You're damn right I'll always be her father."

"But there may come a day when Maddie needs to know the truth, wants to know the truth-"

"Rayna, I don't-" Teddy fired up.

"I'm not saying any of this to hurt you, or destroy the thirteen-years we've had as a family. Really, it's not about any of that. I'm just tryin' to be honest and look at this realistically."

Teddy pursed his lips and furrowed his brow.

"Teddy, you've trusted me her whole life not to do anythin' to jeopardize the relationship you both share. All I want is what's best for her, that's all I want. You've gotta know that. Teddy, you've gotta keep trusting that I'm lookin' out for her, out for you."

"Ok..." Teddy barely choked out as he rubbed his chin. He met Rayna's gaze. "But if you expect me to be happy about any of this, about you and Deacon begin' together...Well, you already know how I feel about him-"

"I didn't come here to argue, I really don't wanna do that." Rayna interjected. "Because if I did, I'd be in here all guns blazin' about your financial consultant runnin' up and down those corridors," Teddy frowned and went to talk, but Rayna cut him off. "Teddy, I just want us to get past this. Can we just agree that sometimes neither of us are gonna like the personal decisions that the other makes and be done with it?"

Teddy adopted a pained expression as he fought with his feelings and what he wanted to say. Rayna chewed her lip, staring at him hopefully. She hated the idea of Peggy being around her daughters, but if letting her see them occasionally meant that Deacon could see them too, then she was willing to allow it.

Reluctantly, Teddy finally nodded. "Fine."

Rayna released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Good."

Teddy cleared his throat, shaking the heavy mood in the room. "Maddie's birthday is next week."

"Mmhmm," Rayna nodded. "About that...I don't think she's too keen on celebrating her birthday this year."

"What? That's ridiculous! She loves birthdays, especially her own."

"That's what I thought."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Teddy asked. "See what's goin' on?"

Rayna shook her head. "No, I've got it. Thank you, though."

"You're welcome."

"Alright," Rayna shifted from one foot to the other, finally feeling safe enough to smile. "I've gotta get goin', but I'll call you about Maddie's birthday, ok?"

Teddy nodded and she quickly walked towards the door.

**- NASHVILLE -**

"This smells delicious!" Maddie grinned at Tandy as she picked up a fork.

"Tastes even better than it smells!" Daphne said through a mouthful of food.

"And that is why y'all are my two favorite nieces." Tandy chirped.

"We're your only nieces." Daphne looked at Tandy straight.

"Well, I'm just glad y'all like the food." Tandy replied.

Rayna inspected the food on her fork and frowned. She looked across the table at the two girls. "How come I never get that kinda appreciation when I make the same tuna casserole, hey?"

"You use the same recipe?" Maddie hesitated.

"Yours sometimes smells funny." Daphne added cheekily, shoving her fork into her mouth.

"Are you makin' fun of my cookin'?" Rayna looked them both dead in the eyes. Tandy laughed as silence fell over the table.

"Nooo." both girls said in a slow unison, immediately avoiding Rayna's eye contact as they quickly started filling their mouths with food.

"Sweetie, you were never the greatest in the kitchen," Tandy teased. "You can't get mad at them for that."

"Are you-?!" Rayna slammed the table with her hand in mock frustration. "I am fantastic in the kitchen! Brilliant actually," she smirked.

"Oh, really?" Tandy narrowed her eyes. "And who told you that?"

"...Deacon."

Maddie and Daphne giggled.

Tandy leant away from Rayna and scoffed, pointing her fork at Rayna. "Ok, I guarantee you he said that because he only wanted to get la-"

"Lollies!" Rayna interjected, choking on a chunk of tuna as she shot Tandy a look. Maddie and Daphne screwed up their faces, clearly confused. "He wanted to get lollies."

"Oh, yeah," Tandy stifled a giggle when she suddenly realized that this wasn't a conversation to be had around the girls. She smirked. "He _really_ wanted to _get lollies_."

Rayna blushed and kicked Tandy under the table. "Speakin' of which," she turned her attention to Maddie. "Honey, I know you said that you didn't wanna talk about birthdays, or birthday parties…But you've always loved your birthday."

Maddie dropped her fork on her plate with a clank and look up at Rayna slowly. "Mom."

"I don't understand," Rayna continued, clearly overlooking the growing frustration on her daughter's face. "Every year you've either had a party, a sleepover, or a family lunch or dinner to-" Rayna stopped short, backtracking in her thoughts. Guilt suddenly flooded her body, making her regret the ways she had pushed and prodded her daughter about something she was clearly still trying to come to terms with. Family. What did that even look like anymore now that she and Teddy had gotten divorced? Rayna didn't exactly have an answer, so Maddie couldn't be expected to have one. She'd been so caught up in resolving conflict with Teddy that she'd overlooked how Maddie was feeling in the middle of this. No wonder Maddie was so adamant about not talking about any of this. "Sweetheart, I'm-"

"Daphne, my love, you and me…Dinner and a movie!" Tandy picked up her plate, gesturing for the little girl to do the same.

"What? Why?"

"Because it's much cooler than sittin' here, that's why."

"But I-"

"Come on, go!" Tandy pressed, walking Daphne out of the room.

Rayna waited till she heard the television turn on before she considered talking. She pushed her plate aside and smiled. There was sadness in her eyes as she spoke. "Maddie, honey, I'm so sorry for all of this."

"It's just a birthday, Mom."

"I'm not talkin' about your birthday, sweetheart. I'm talkin' about this," Rayna gestured around the table before reaching out for Maddie's hand. "Us, your dad and I...our family. Everything's so different now. I know you're confused and you're hurtin', really I do."

Maddie fought back tears, but they fell steadily.

"Baby, I completely understand if you don't want to celebrate your birthday, but birthdays are big deal. You know, it's the one day of the year we get to celebrate how awesome you are, how much we love _you_…not your sister, no one else…_you_."

"Ok," Maddie spoke up finally, wiping tears from her eyes as she nodded.

"Ok, what?"

"Ok, we do my birthday." Maddie mumbled.

Rayna grinned, waving Maddie's hands around with her own. "We can?!"

Maddie nodded.

"We're havin' a party, we're havin' a party!" Rayna sang too loudly, and a little off key.

"We're having a party?!" Daphne and Tandy cried, suddenly appearing at the door.

"Yes," Maddie giggled, hiding her face out of embarrassment at being the center of attention. "But not a big one. I think I just want to have a lunch at our house with like a few friends, and family."

"Whatever you want honey!" Rayna leant across the table to kiss her on the forehead.

"Only on one condition though..." Maddie pulled away from Rayna to look at Tandy and Daphne. Rayna looked at her curiously. "…I get to decide who comes."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Bucketloads of thanks to each reader and reviewer! I really appreciate it. After seeing that promo picture of Deacon and Rayna from S02E12..I HAD to put up the new chapter today. I mean, come on...you guys were all as excited as me when you saw it, right? PLEASE KEEP your LOVES/DISLIKES/FAVORITE LINES or MOMENTS/HOPES/COMMENTS/FOLLOWS and WHATEVER ELSE COMING...enjoy chapter seven..**

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"Monopoly or a movie?"

"_Or_ you can just let me go to my room because this is stupid." Maddie shrugged, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as she glared at Teddy.

"Ok, then…Well," Peggy tried, awkwardly holding the board game. "Maybe we could have some dessert instead? I brought chocolate ice-cream. Your dad said it's your favorite-"

"No, thanks. I'm not hungry."

"You hardly ate anything at dinner," Daphne looked at Maddie, scrunching up her nose. "How are you not hungry?"

"Yeah, I did,"

"Well, I'm always up for ice cream!" Daphne piped up, smiling excitedly. "Chocolate is sooo good!"

Maddie shot Daphne a filthy look and the little girl stopped smiling.

"Madelyn..." Teddy warned and Maddie's eyes shot up in his direction. Her parents rarely ever used her full name. She only ever got called that when she'd done something wrong or when she was about to get into serious trouble. This must've been one of those moments.

"What?!" Maddie replied icily. "I'm not hungry."

Teddy and Maddie shared a glare, both doing a lot more talking with their eyes than their mouths.

"Why don't we get some bowls then, hey?" Peggy asked Daphne, gesturing to the kitchen. Daphne glanced between her sister and Peggy, unsure of whether to stay or go. She smiled awkwardly and stood up with Peggy, leaving Teddy and Maddie alone in the living room.

"Can I please be excused?" Maddie asked crossly.

"No, honey, you can't,"

"Why?"

"Because Peggy's here and we're spendin' time gettin' to know each other tonight, that's why." Teddy replied smoothly.

Maddie cocked her head, fury on her face. "I don't want to get to know her! I already know all that I need to know. She's a lying b-"

"Maddie, please!" Teddy exhaled, running his hands over his face. "Enough with this attitude...enough."

Maddie pursed her lips.

"Listen, what you think and what you say is gonna influence sister…so please just think about that before you go gettin' angry like that. Honey, please just give it a chance and try and have some fun. Maybe you and Daphne could get out a guitar and play us a song or some-?"

"I think I'll pass," Maddie scowled, promptly standing and walking out of the living room.

"Where are you goin'?" Teddy asked, frustrated and annoyed as he followed her into the kitchen. "I'm talkin' to-"

Daphne was helping Peggy put equal servings of ice cream into four bowls.

"I'm going to my room to get my phone so I can call mom about tomorrow afternoon," Maddie replied, turning on her heel to face Teddy.

"I thought I was takin' you to that guitar shop?"

"No, mom and Deacon are kinda better at that sorta thing so she's gonna take me-"

"Deacon?!" Daphne exclaimed, accidently sending a scoop of ice cream flying at Peggy because she hadn't been paying attention to the ice cream tub. "Hey, I wanna come Maddie! Dad, can I g-?"

"You can't come..." Maddie shook her head.

"Deacon's goin' with you and your mom?" Teddy asked, trying to keep the bitterness from his tone.

"Yeah," Maddie shrugged, slightly irritated at why Teddy would ask her that. "You know that he knows a lot about guitars…and he's had like a billion years of experience so…"

"You do realize your mom might be busy tomorrow afternoon,"

"She's not. I already checked,"

"Maddie, I wanna come!" Daphne interrupted them. "Let me come! Please ask mom for me, please, please, please!"

"You can't, sorry."

"This sucks!"

**- NASHVILLE -**

"Did you see this?"

Tandy looked up from her cell phone fleetingly. "No, I mean, yeah…I skimmed it, why?"

"Take another look," Rayna pressed, pushing the piece of paper across the counter. "What'd you see?"

Reluctantly, Tandy put her cell phone down and picked up the list. She studied it carefully, trying to figure out what Rayna's problem was. After a good minute or so she figured it out and her eyebrows shot up. "Oh…"

"You're damn right_, oh_!"

"Sweetie, you were askin' for this when you gave her the choice of who does and doesn't get to come."

"How the hell am I supposed to explain to Teddy that his _lady friend _didn't make the list and Deacon did?"

"I dunno, but the two of you are gonna have to figure it out because this party _cannot_ be about y'all and your issues with each other…It has to be about Maddie-"

"You don't think I don't know that?!" Rayna exclaimed.

Tandy scratched her head. "I don't even know why you're not rejoicin' that Maddie doesn't want Peggy comin' in the first place?"

"Tandy, how-?!"

"Don't bite my head off…" Tandy spoke calmly. "I just think that maybe you should leave it, don't try questionin' her on it…That won't go well if you do."

Rayna's cell phone rang on the kitchen counter, breaking the silence. She picked it up and made a face.

Tandy cocked her head. "Who is it?"

"Maddie."

**- NASHVILLE -**

"I'm so excited!" Maddie exclaimed, opening the car door as soon as Deacon had put the car in park. "You have no idea how excited I am. Thanks so much for bringing me!"

"And here I was thinkin' that we left the hyper one at home," Rayna whispered, unbuckling her seatbelt as she glanced over at Deacon. "We haven't even gotten into the damn shop yet and she's bouncin' off the walls!"

Deacon chuckled.

Maddie had always been the quieter, more sensitive personality out of her two daughters. She would often take a back seat to Daphne's antics, preferring to be anything but the focus of people's attention. In retrospect, Maddie was actually a lot like Deacon. Rayna smiled at the thought. However, quiet and reserved were the last words Rayna would have used to describe Maddie today. Right now, her eldest seemed to be channelling every loud and excitable characteristic of her youngest child. The more Rayna thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

"Thanks for doin' this," Rayna smiled at Deacon.

"You're welcome," He replied, squeezing her hand.

"Come on, guys!" Maddie chirped.

"We're comin', we're comin'," Deacon and Rayna said in unison, promptly hopping out of the car.

The three of them left the parked car and headed towards the guitar shop.

"You're excited for your birthday, huh?" Deacon asked.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't…" Maddie admitted, tugging at her sleeves. "But I am now."

"It's gonna be some party. You're momma's been doin' a lot of plannin',"

"It'll be nice bein' able to have my friends and stuff over to celebrate. It's cool that you can come, too."

"I wouldn't miss it," Deacon smiled.

Rayna could hear Tandy's voice in her head. _Don't try questionin' her on it...That won't go well if you do. _Rayna cleared her throat, hesitating before she spoke. "Hon, the list you gave me…is that everyone you're thinkin' of invitin' for your birthday?"

Maddie frowned. "Yeah, why?"

"So, no one else?" Rayna asked slowly.

"Well, maybe one or two more people," Maddie shrugged. "I don't know."

"Who?"

"Mom!" Maddie exclaimed, clearly agitated. "Why are you asking me this? I thought that that list was ok?"

"It is, sweetheart-"

"I mean, there aren't any boys or anything…well, besides dad, Pawpaw, the Mitchell's boys from down the street…oh, and uncle Bucky and…Deacon," Maddie gestured at Deacon. "But, you know what I mean."

Deacon shoved his hands into his pockets and focused on his feet as they walked, somehow hoping to shake the tension in the air.

Rayna took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, I just saw that there's some people that aren't-"

"You mean Peggy?" Maddie interjected.

"Yeah, I do-" Rayna blurted out, immediately regretting it when Maddie's eyes grew wide.

"Mom, you can't be serious?!"

"Um…" Rayna struggled to find her voice. She couldn't believe that she was asking Maddie this in the first place. Tandy had been right; she should've quit while she was ahead. "Maddie, honey, I just-"

Deacon opened the door to the guitar shop for Rayna and Maddie, still choosing to remain silent.

"You said I got to choose, mom…and I chose." Maddie said finally before walking through the door.

Rayna smiled weakly when Deacon met her gaze. She exhaled, kicking the pavement. "I'm sorry you had to hear that,"

"Hear what?" He smiled reassuringly as he ushered her through the door. "Come on, darlin',"

Rayna chuckled, squeezing his hand quickly before walking after Maddie.

The walls were lined with instruments, big and small, used and new. They wandered around and Deacon pointed out different guitars to Maddie. She would pick up a guitar, play it and then carefully put it back. To Maddie's delight, he shared a story or two about how he owned this or that guitar, and the times he'd played a particular guitar for different headliners. Rayna couldn't help but feel completely overawed with emotion as she watched Deacon and Maddie together. She felt joy, but it was hard to ignore the guilt and shame that sat heavy in the pit of her stomach. Memories of all the things that both Deacon and Maddie have missed as a father and daughter over the last thirteen years came rushing into her mind. Rayna knew that she'd done the right thing for Maddie all those years ago, but that didn't do anything to settle her inner turmoil.

"Can I help you?" someone asked from behind Rayna and she jumped.

"No, it's okay Freddie," Deacon replied, turning around to face the man standing behind Rayna. "I got it covered."

"Deacon Claybourne!" Freddie greeted, smile wide as he brought his hands to his hips. "It's been too long, man." He turned his head and saw Rayna, quickly doing a double take. "_And_ Rayna Jaymes too! What the hell did I do to get both of y'all in here on the same day!"

Deacon and Rayna laughed.

"We're not here for us," Rayna smiled, gesturing to Maddie. "Freddie, you remember Maddie?"

Freddie's mouth dropped. "Oh my, is this your Maddie? Last time I saw her she was a tiny thing runnin' up and down the halls backstage at the Orpy!"

"Yep, that's her!"

"Hi," Maddie said, waving awkwardly as she instinctively stepped closer to Deacon.

"They're guitar shoppin'," Deacon replied. "For Maddie's birthday,"

Freddie smirked. "Rayna shoppin' for a guitar? Please."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rayna shushed. "You know me and my vast knowledge of these _beautiful_ instruments…" Rayna smirked, jerking a thumb at a wall of guitars. "Don't worry, they're doin' most of the shoppin'…I'm just followin' 'em and keepin' my mouth shut."

"Well," Freddie looked from Maddie to Deacon. "You've got the best person helpin' you out,"

"I know," Maddie nodded proudly.

"If y'all need anythin' I'll be over at the counter." Freddie smiled and walked away.

They continued wandering around and Maddie stopped short in front of a wall at the back of the shop, quietly admiring a Martin guitar.

"That one is so pretty…" Maddie whispered, reaching out to run her fingers over the body of the guitar.

Deacon took the guitar off the wall and handed it to Maddie. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Hesitantly, Maddie gripped the guitar neck a little tighter and ran her fingers over the strings. The sound resonated through the shop and her eyes lit up. She repositioned it in her arms and played a gentle tune.

Deacon nodded approvingly. "Wow, that's got a good cut and a big sound to it."

"Mom?" Maddie cocked her head, looking over Deacon's shoulder.

Rayna smiled, adjusting her handbag. "Yeah, it sounds real pretty,"

"You like this one?" Deacon asked.

"Mmhmm," Maddie nodded, admiring the guitar. Her eyes stopped on the price tag. "But look how much it costs…"

Rayna's eyes softened as she saw the worry fill Maddie's face. Most teenagers wouldn't think twice about checking the price tag on something they wanted. Not Maddie, that was the first thing she thought about. The girls had grown up around expensive things and gone on trips most people only dreamt of. They weren't ignorant of the fact that their family was well off or of their parent's high profile in the eye of the media. However, Teddy and Rayna had always strived to teach them that there was more to life than money, status and material things. Because of that, Rayna was absolutely convinced that that was why she had two very thoughtful, giving and considerate daughters today.

Rayna's cell phone rang in her hand and she frowned when she saw the caller ID. Deacon and Maddie looked at her.

"Who is it?" Deacon asked, walking over to Rayna.

"It's Jeff," Rayna grumbled, her thumb hovering over the answer button. She glanced at Maddie and then at Deacon.

"Take it," Deacon shrugged. "We got this covered."

Rayna smiled gratefully and answered the call as she walked out of the shop.

"What do you think I should do?" Maddie asked uncertainly, looking down at the guitar.

"I think…" Deacon replied, absentmindedly running his fingers over a guitar on the wall. "If you really like that one and your momma's willin' to up the budget a little…we might be able to convince Freddie to give us a good-"

"I'm not talking about the guitar, I'm talking about my birthday," Maddie shook her head, gesturing for Deacon to take the guitar off her and hang it back up. "…and you know, Peggy."

"Oh…" Deacon nodded slowly, suddenly feeling under-equipped to be having this conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was say the wrong thing. "Um…"

"I don't want her to come," Maddie said bitterly, crossing her arms as she struggled to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. "She's a liar and cheater. I know she's the reason why my dad left."

Deacon looked at her blankly, neither wanting to confirm or deny what she was saying.

Maddie gave him a knowing look. "Yeah, that's not what mom and dad told Daphne and me…but I know it's the truth."

"Darlin', I think there's a lot there that you need to be talkin' to your momma about. I'm sure if you tell her you wanna talk-"

"I don't get why mom wants me to invite her?!" Maddie shook her head furiously, ignoring Deacon's suggestion to save this conversation for Rayna. "It's like she's forgotten everything that's happened. It's like she doesn't care-"

"Now wait a sec," Deacon pursed his lips, calmly holding up a hand to silence Maddie. "I think that it's _because_ your mom is askin' you somethin' like that…I think it might mean that she does care about people's feelings, don't you?"

"So you're saying I should just invite her?" Maddie cried.

"No," Deacon shook his head, smiling uneasily. "I'm not sayin' that. I think darlin'…you need to make that decision on your own."

"I don't want them to be mad if I don't invite her..."

"Listen, your mom and dad are grown ups. They can handle whatever decision you make. I know they both love you…trust me on that. I'm sure that they'll support whatever you decide."

"…Okay," Maddie said slowly, crossing her arms tightly across her chest as she thought about what Deacon was saying.

Deacon reached out and gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Thanks, it means-"

"Sorry y'all, I-!" Rayna hurried over to them, stopping in her tracks as she saw the two talking. "Is everythin' okay?"

"Yep!" Deacon and Maddie both said in unison, a little too enthusiastically.

Rayna shot Deacon a questioning look.

"Later," he mouthed before pointed at the guitar Maddie had been playing. "I think that maybe she's thinkin' this might be the one, mom!" he said cheerily.

"It is?" Rayna's asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah, but it costs heaps though," Maddie shrugged, brushing her fingers over the body of the guitar again. "Maybe we should just look at something cheaper…"

Before Deacon and Rayna could say anything Maddie had turned on her heel and walked away.

**- NASHVILLE - **

**Two days later**

Squinting, Deacon crept around his bedroom, carefully sidestepping the discarded clothing on the floor. He moved slowly, silently hoping that he wouldn't run into anything. Almost on cue, he backed into the bedside table, sending a stack of CD's crashing to the floor.

Deacon swore. His eyes darted towards the bed.

Rayna stirred under the blankets, unconsciously reaching for where he had been lying minutes ago. When she came up empty she twisted and turned, struggling to free herself from the blankets.

"Babe?"

"Shhhh," he murmured, leaning across the bed to give her a quick kiss on the lips. "Baby, go back to sleep…"

"What are you doin'?" she asked groggily as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"I've just gotta go out for a bit. I'll be back soon,"

"Soon? Where are you goin' at this time of the mornin'?" she squinted at the clock on his bedside table.

"I'm just headed over to Juliette's-"

"Wha-? Jul…Babe, why?!" Rayna stuttered, jolting upright as he sat on his side of the bed to put his boots on.

"Whoa!" Deacon smirked, slightly amused by her sudden alertness. "Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"Stop it…" she said agitatedly, gently nudging him with her foot in a bid to get him to look at her. Deacon laughed. "What could you possibly need to do-?"

"I'm just goin' over to check up on her, see how she's holdin' up with her voice and all of that,"

"Really?" Rayna asked, suddenly feeling guilty.

"Yeah, I mean…she's got no one, Ray," he replied thoughtfully, turning to look at her. "And it's probably killin' her that she's been cooped up in that big house of hers with no one to talk to, or yell at…"

They both laughed.

"That's the point, babe," Rayna rolled her eyes. "She's not supposed to be talkin', or yellin'…she's supposed to be lettin' her voice heal."

Deacon picked up his cell phone. "Her message made it sound like the doctors have given her the all clear. But I think what's got her frustrated is that they've warned her to take things slow. You know, easin' back into everythin' slowly and strengthenin' her voice, that kinda thing."

Rayna nodded, pulling the blankets up as she brought her knees to chest. "If that's the case, we'll be out on the road again in another week or two, won't we?"

Deacon nodded.

"Did you want me to come with you?" Rayna asked quietly.

"No darlin', it's fine," he replied too quickly, avoiding her eye contact fleetingly. "Really…"

"Okay, what was that?" Rayna narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.

"What was what?"

Rayna shot him a sceptical look, letting him know that she wasn't in the mood for playing games.

Deacon scratched his chin nervously before finally looking at her. "I wasn't gonna tell you till I'd sorted it out…that's why I was tryin' to sneak out before you woke up," he hesitated, rubbing his palms on his knees.

"What?"

"I _am_ goin' over to Juliette's to see how she's feelin'…but I'm _also_ goin' round to ask her for a favor,"

Rayna frowned. "What kind of favor?"

"I was gonna see if maybe she'd be willin' to come around for a little bit on Saturday for Maddie's birthday party. You know, I thought it'd be a nice surprise for Maddie. I know that she really loves her…" Deacon said quietly, almost feeling embarrassed for saying it out loud.

Rayna swore and buried her head in her hands. "Why didn't I think of that?" she groaned.

"You're not angry?" he asked.

"Angry?" Rayna peeked at him through her fingers. "No, just angry at myself for not thinkin' of that in the first place."

Deacon laughed and climbed up next to her on the bed. He pulled her into his arms. "Baby, you've done a lot of organizin' to make this party special for Maddie. Juliette Barnes or not, I know Maddie's really gonna appreciate it." he smirked, obviously pleased with himself.

"Go away…" Rayna chuckled, freeing herself from his arms and burying herself under the blankets.

"Fine,"

"Just not for too long," Rayna mumbled, glancing up at him as he brushed her messy hair out of her eyes. She rolled onto her stomach. "This bed is already startin' to feel cold without you."

"How cold?" he murmured, snuggling up to her from behind.

"Very cold…babe…okay," she managed to get out between giggles as he left kisses on her neck. He mumbled a string of unintelligible words against her skin, knowing full well that his teasing was setting her body on fire. Rayna shivered and reluctantly pushed him away. "Hon, if you keep that goin' I won't be lettin' you leave here anytime soon…"

Grudgingly, he pulled away only to lean back over and give her a kiss. "Fine. But don't you be goin' anywhere," Deacon smiled against her lips, taking his time to kiss her again.

"Why?" Rayna mumbled against his lips.

"I don't know about you...but I plan on makin' this bed a hell of a lot hotter when I get back."


End file.
